NORTH CAROLINA GEOLOGTCAL SURVEY 

J. A. HOLMES, STATE GEOLOGIST. 



BULLETIN No. 5. 



THE FORESTS, FOREST LANDS, AND FOREST 
PRODUCTS OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 

BY 

W. W. ASHE, 

In Charge of Forest Investigation. 




RALEIGH : 
JosEPHus Daniel^, State Printer and Binder. 

' PRKSSES OK E. M. UZZELL. 

1894. 



SEP 19 1907 
D. ofO. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

Letter of TKAN«MrrTAL 8 

Preface 9 

Chapter I. — Forests and Forest Lands of Eastern North Carolina I'S 

Objects of this preliminary forest snrvey 13 

Area under consideration 14 

Kinds of gi'owth ]4 

Nomenclature of the trees 16 

Long-leaf pine 16 

Loblolly pine 16 

Short-leaf pine 17 

Savanna pine 17 

Other minor trees 17 

Original distribution of the pines 18 

Long-leaf pine 18 

Loblolly pine 20 

Short-leaf pine < 21 

Savanna pine 22 

Forests and forest regions of eastern North Carolina 22 

The seaboard region 23, 24 

Brunswick county 24 

Columbus 25 

Duplin 25 

Pender 25 

Onslow 26 

Carteret 27 

Craven 27 

Jones 27 

Pamlico 28 

Beaufort 28 

Pamlico peninsula 29 

Counties north of Albemarle sound 29 

The inland loblolly pine region 23, 31 

Gates county 31 

Hertford 31 

Bertie 32 

Martin 32 

Pitt 32 

Greene 32 

Edgecombe and Wilson 33 

Wayne ; 33 

Lenoir .' 34 

Johnston 34 



4 



CONTENTS. 



Chapter I. — Continued. page. 

The pine-barren regions 24, 34 

Robeson county 34 

Bladen 35 

New Hanover 36 

Cumberland 3(> 

Harnett 36 

Sampson 37 

Richmond ; 37 

Moore 37 

The transition region 24, 38 

Northampton county 38 

Halifax 38 

Nash 39 

Montgomery 39 

Chatham 39 

Wake 39 

Existing supply of timber in eastern North Carolina 40 

Cypress, 40; white cedar (juniper), 40; loblolly pine, 41; savanna 
pine, 41; short-leaf pine, 41; long-leaf pine, 42; swamp timber, 42. 

Chapter II. — The Waste Lands of Eastern North Carolina 43 

Scarcity of timber in the sand-hill regions 45 

The larger tracts of barren land 45 

Bladen county 45 

Sampson 47 

Cumberland 47 

Harnett '. 48 

Moore 48 

Richmond 49 

Robeson 49 

Brunswick 49 

Columbus 49 

Wayne ■ 49 

Duplin, Onslow, New Hanover 50 

Other eastern counties 50 

The origin of these waste lands 51 

Why long-leaf pine forests are not self-propagating 52 

The seeding of the long-leaf pine 53 

Destruction of the young plants 55 

Enemies of the long-leaf pine 56 

Destructive work by hogs and fires 57 

The ultimate utility of these waste lands 59 

Cost of securing a new forest growth 60 

Necessary protection of young pines against fires and hogs 61 

Forest management in the waste-land regions 63 

The necessity for forests in the future 64 



CONTENTS. 5 

Chapter II. — ConfliiKcd. page. 

Will a regrowth of pine on these waf^te lands pay? G7 

Kate of growth of long-leaf pines ()7 

Future v^alue of turpentine orchards 68 

Future value of long-leaf pine forests 69 

Area of wasteland increasing 70 

Importance of early action 71 

Chapter III. — The Navat. Store Industry 73 

Historical sketch 73 

In colonial times 73 

Later developments 74 

South-westward extension 76 

Inland extension in North Carolina 77 

Value of the naval store products of the United States 78 

Amount of capital and labor employed 78 

Present condition of the naval store industry in North Carolina 78 

Spirits of turpentine and rosin statistics 79 

Decrease in production of crude turpentine 80 

The rosin trade 82 

Exports of tar and pitch 83 

Total value of naval store products in North Carolina 84 

Present condition of the turpentine orchards in North Carolina 85 

Length of time turpentine orchards are worked 85 

Areas of abandoned turpentine orchards 86 

Annual additions to the turpentine orchards 87 

Boxing of other species of pines 88 

Amount of round timber available for boxing 88 

Young growth of long-leaf pine 89 

Decreasing area of turpentine orchards in North Carolina 90 

Destruction of orchards by fires 90 

Damages to orchards from storms 92 

Area of orchards reduced by lumbering 93 

How long can our turpentine orchards last? 93 

French and American methods of gathering turpentine 93 

American method of boxing pine trees 94 

French method of gathering turpentine 96 

Advantages of the French system 99 

Results as to the relative strength and vitality of the trees 99 

Yield by the French system larger in quantity and better in quality, 100 

Results of experiments with the French system in North Carolina 100 

Cost of adopting the French system 104 

Chapter IV. — The LuxMber Industry in Eastern North Carolina 106 

Historical sketch 106 

Loblolly pine in the timber market :.. 107 



(ONTKXTS. 



Chapter IV. — Coiithnied. page. 

Statistic?^ of the lumber industry in North Carolina 108 

Output of lumber and shingles 109 

Lumber product from different species of trees 112 

Lumber shipments from Wilmington 11;; 

Production and export of shingles 114 

Capital invested in tKe lumJbei" industry ]15 

Production of luinber in North Carolina in 1893 IK) 

Miscellaneous wood- working industries 117 

Production of timber other than mill timber 118 

"Tun timber" 118 

Railroad ties 119 

Telegraph poles 119 

Oak staves 120 

Value of forest products of eastern North Carolina 120 

Recent timber developments and the outlook 121 

Uses of important woods 122 

The pines 122 

Yellow poplar, ash and white cedar 122 

Cypress, sweet gum and black gum 123 

Index 12o 



BOARD OF MANAGERS. 

Governor Elias Carr, ex officio Chairman, . Raleigh. 

J. Turner Morehead, Leaksville. 

Samuel L. Patterson, Yadkin Valley. 



J. A. Holmes, 



STATE GEOLOGIST. 



Raleigh. 



LETTER OF TRAX.SMTrTAL. 



Ralekih, N. C, September 26, 1894. 
To his Excellenci/, Hon. Elias Care, 

Governor of North Carolina. 

Sir : — I have the honor to submit herewith for publication as 
Bulletin Xo. 5 of the Geological Survey publications a preliminary 
report on the Forests, Forest Lands and Forest Products of Eastern 
North Carolina. This report has been prepared by Mr. AV. AV. Ashe, 
who is making for the Survey a careful examination of the forests 
of the State. I beg to call your special attention to two facts 
brought out in this report: (1) the continued and unnecessary 
destruction of the forests of our eastern counties by tires and stock, 
and the importance of remed^'ing this evil before it is too late; 
(2) while we cannot at once greatly enlarge the areas of our tur- 
pentine orchards the quality and value of the naval store products 
may be increased to the extent of some |200.000 per annum by the 
adoption of the French system of gathering the turpentine. 

I desire to express my appreciation of the active and encouraging- 
interest which you and the other members of the Board have 
shown continuously in this and all other work undertaken by the 
Survey. 

Yours obediently, 

J. A. Holmes, 
State Geologist 



PREFACE. 



The law iuaugurating the Geological Survey provides for the 
investigation of the timber as well as the mineral interests of the 
State; and in carrying out this provision a systematic examination 
of the forests was begun in 1891 and has been carried on since 
that time. The plan adopted in this work embodies a fourfold 
investigation : first, as to the existing forest resources ; second, as to 
how these resources can be utilized to the greatest advantage with- 
out involving the destruction of the forests; third, as to how the 
waste lands of the State can be continuously restocked with valua- 
ble trees, and thus our forest wealth perpetuated; and fourth, as 
to what can be done to encourage the development in the State of 
enterprises which will manufacture into finished products a larger 
portion of our timber instead of shipping to other States our crude 
materials for manufacture there. We have found, as will be 
shown in this Report and others which are to follow at an early 
date, that our forest resources are considerable ; and they are 
now attracting lumbermen and capital from many sections of the 
country. The lumbering industry in the State is already a large 
one and is increasing in magnitude; indeed, already the timber 
is being cut with such rapidity that we may fairly ask ourselves 
the question, how long it will be before our forest wealth, like 
that of many other States, becomes a matter of the past. And 
we may also ask ourselves the question, whether it is possible that 
these resources can be utilized now and at the same time our forest 
wealth be perpetuated. 

A trained student in forestry will answer this latter question 
in the affirmative, but the experience, of the past has too often 
answered it in the negative. The cutting of the valuable tim- 
ber frequently leads to the total destruction of the forest. The 
trees are felled regardless of surrounding growth that may be 
injured ; and the branches and the tops are left scattered among 
the younger growth and thus add greatly to the destructiveness of 
forest fires, which frequently follow during the first dry season. The 



10 



PREFACE. 



average lumberman has but one purpose in the prosecution of his 
work : the removal of the valuable timber. It rarely happens that 
the owner, himself, seriously considers the future welfare of 
his forests; and, indeed, the opinion seems to be prevalent in the 
public mind that when the valuable timber has been once removed 
from a forest the forest itself no longer has a value, and may as 
well be cleared away so that the soil can be cultivated; or, if it is 
allowed to remain, it is usually made to serve as a range for cattle, 
and is thought to answer this purpose best when burned through 
by the forest fires every autumn or spring. 

The policy of the average citizen appears to be based upon the 
theory that our natural resources are inexhaustible, and that we 
should get all out of them we can to-day and let the future take 
care of itself. And so thoroughly grounded ara these notions in 
our public and private policy that it is exceedingly difficult to 
secure the adoption of any plan which runs counter to them. But 
fortunately, in the matter of our forests, their preservation for use 
by a future generation need not prohibit the utilization of the 
valuable timber now standing by the present generation. It only 
demands that while we cut and make use of this timber we protect 
the young growth, and look to the restocking of our waste lands 
with valuable trees, and thus make the forest valuable for future 
generations also. 

The examinations of the forests in Eastern North Carolina were 
begun by the present writer several years ago. More extended 
investigations have been carried on by Mr. W. W. Ashe at intervals 
during the past two years. The larger part of the information 
embodied in the present report was collected by him during a series 
of extended trips made through the eastern counties during the 
autumn of 1893 and the following winter. As shown in the body 
of this Report, the approximate supply of pine timber now stand- 
ing in Eastern North Carolina is about 8,200,000,000 feet, and this 
is being cut at the rate of about 450,000,000 feet per annum. These 
figures point in unmistakable terms to the fact that, unless mean- 
while we encourage the growth of new trees, two decades more 
will find the valuable pine forests of this region largely a thing of 
the past. And it is unfortunately true that the cutting of this tim- 
ber is often followed by the destruction of the forest. ■ 



PKICFACE. 



11 



Indeed, nothing in the way of forest management could be more 
reckless and destructive than the treatment of our long-leaf pine 
forests during the past few decades. In the boxing for turpentine 
the trees have been cut so deeply and so extensively that both their 
vitality and strength have been greatly weakened, and the storms 
have prostrated many of the finest specimens. The lumberman 
and the storms have been followed by forest fires, which have com- 
pleted the destruction, already begun in so systematic a manner, of 
large areas. 

Started at times by thoughtless hunters at night, by sparks from 
an engine, by careless squatters or tenants, or even at times by 
land owners, in the hope of improving the grazing capacity of their 
lands during the following season, these forest fires sweep irresisti- 
bly across miles of territory, destroying not only the mature for- 
est trees, but also the young growth; and thus destroy the forest of 
the future as well as of the present. And the few young pines 
w^hich may have escaped destruction in this way soon follow the 
fate of the others by being destroyed by hogs. Many of these long- 
leaf pine lands which lie in the sand hill regions of Eastern North 
Carolina have had their forest removed so completely that they have 
become "waste lands," covered by a thin growth of nearly worth- 
less scrubby oak. The total area of these waste lands is now nearly 
half a million acres, and is steadily increasing. This Report 
endeavors to show that while much of these waste lands are w^orth- 
less for other purposes, they can be re-set with long-leaf pine forests 
if they can only be protected against forest fires and stock. And it 
is gratifying to find among the lumbermen themselves a growing- 
realization of the fact that it is to their interest and to the interest 
of the public at large that this destructive policy giv^ place to a 
more intelligent plan which, while it does not seriously curtail 
the utilization of the existing forests, it looks to their protection 
-and perpetuity. 

It is devoutly to be hoped that this awakening will grow into a 
change of both public and private opinion concerning the future 
of our forests, and lead to the adoption and carrying out of rational 
plans for their perpetuity and improvement. -The problems 
connected with the accomplishment of this end will be discussed 



12 



PREFACE. 



more fully in future publications of the Survey, now in prepara- 
tion. The object of the present report is to describe briefly the 
present condition of the forests and forest lands of this region. The 
capital invested in the lumber industr}^ in Eastern North Carolina 
in 1893 amounted to $4,690,000, and more than 8,000 men were 
regularly employed in connection with the 323 establishments. 
The market value of the forests products of this region for 1893, 
including naval stores, but not including tire-wood nor fencing 
material, amounted to $7,320,000. Including these latter items 
the aggregate annual value of the forest products of the region 
will probably reach $12,000,000. Certainly this is an industry the 
future maintenance of which deserves the earnest consideration of. 
the State and her individual citizens. 

The Survey is indebted to many lumbermen, naval store dealers 
and manufacturers, and to many other citizens in every part of this 
region for their kind co-operation in the work of collecting infor- 
mation for this Report, and I beg to assure them that their kind- 
ness and hospitality have been highly appreciated. 

J. A. Holmes, 
State Geologist. 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS 
OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 

By W. W. Ashe. 

CHAPTER I. 
FORESTS AND FOREST LANDS. 

OBJECTS OF THIS PRELIMINARY FOREST SURVEY^ 

During the present decade there has been a marked increase in 
the lumber industry in Eastern North Carolina and a correspond- 
ing decrease in the available supply of standing timber. Already 
predictions are numerous as to the exhaustion at an early date of 
the supply of merchantable long-leaf pine over considerable areas. 
The boxing of these pines weakens the trees and makes them more 
liable to be blown down by the winds, and far more liable to be 
destroyed by forest fires, which by their frequency and extent have 
entirely removed the long-leaf pine forests over many large areas. 
These pine forests, in the sandy regions, instead of being replaced 
by a valuable young growth of the same kind are followed by a 
worthless growth of sand black-jack oak. Forest fires and subse- 
quent pasturing of these regions with cattle and hogs are the 
important agencies which combine to prevent the long-leaf pine 
from reproducing itself over the larger portion of these sandy 
lands. From these causes the extent of these areas of waste or 
abandoned lands is increasing steadily. It is believed that under 
proper management these waste lands can be restocked with long- 
leaf pine. 

The present examination was undertaken with a view to deter- 
mining the exact condition of the forests of the eastern section of 
the State, the rapidity with which they are being removed, the 
condition of lumbered districts, the character, extent and condition 
of the regrowth or "second growth," and to find out, if possible, 
some practicable plans for the protection, development, and exten- 
sion of the forests of this region. 



14 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



AREA UNDER CONSIDERATION. 

The area examined embraces thirty-eight eastern counties and 
the eastern parts of six more, being what is usually termed the 
long-leaf pine belt in North Carolina. This is the "coastal plain 
region" of the geologists, which extends inland from the coast a 
distance of one hundred to one hundred and fifty miles and has 
in this State an aggregate area approximating 24,000 square miles. 
Its western border, separating the hill country from the coastal 
plain region, may be described as an irregular line extending 
through the western part of Halifax and the south-eastern part of 
Franklin count}^ passing near Raleigh and Gary to northern Mont- 
gomery and eastern Anson counties. Its surface is that of a gently 
undulating plain, of less elevation (ten to twenty feet above 
tide) and of a more nearly level surface eastward, becoming 
more elevated (three hundred to five hundred feet) and rolling 
along its western border. Its soil is generally a sandy loan* or 
sand, though in limited areas clay predominates. In the more 
eastern portion of this region are numerous extensive swamps or 
marsh areas surrounding, in some cases, small lakes and bordering 
streams. In some of these the soil is mainly an admixture of sand 
and vegetable mold, while in others it is a fertile loam. The soil 
of the western portions of this region, north of the Neuse river, 
varies considerably, but is ordinarily a loam, becoming sandy 
or gravelly in some places and clayey in others,- while south of 
Neuse river the sand predominates, and there are numerous ele- 
vated, dry, sandy ridges on which only the long-leaf pine and the 
sand black-jack oak flourish. 

KINDS OF GROWTH. 

The timber over the entire section is, on the highlands, largely 
of two species of pine, one, the loblolly pine {PinusTaeda L.), more 
confined to the counties north of the Neuse I'iver and to the moister 
soil ; the other, the long-leaf pine {Pinus palustris Mill.), to those 
south of this river and to the drier, more sandy soil. Beneath 
these trees, where the soil is not too dry and sandy, is a lower 



KINDS OF (JKOWTH. 



15 



growth of small white and })ost oaks, dogwood, haws and the nar- 
row-leaved crab-apple, while where the soil is very sandy and dry 
there grows, either with the long-leaf pine, or where it has been 
removed, a small woi'^hless oak, the sand black-jack or barren oak 
(Quercus ( 'a/cs5ae/ Michx.), and less freqnently the high-ground wil- 
low oak (Quercus chierca ^Michx.). This oak is also a small tree and 
indicates the most barren soil. Besides the pines just referred to, 
there are two others found with them, the short-leaf pine (P. ecJii- 
iiata Mill.), an uncommon tree except on dark loam or gravelly soil 
along the western and northern limits of this section, and the 
savanna pine (P. serotina Michx.), a knotty, unsymmetrical tree 
occurring from Virginia southward along the margins of "pine bar- 
ren" ponds or scattered in small clumps over the open savannas 
and marsh lands. These few species form the chief growth of the 
higher lands. 

The swamp lands, with a total area of about 3,500 square miles, 
have a very characteristic and varied growth. Bordering these 
swamps are water and willow oaks, with the evergreen loblolly 
bay and sweet bay ; farther in them are huge swamp chestnut oaks 
(Quercus Michauxii Nutt.), elms, maples, beech, holly and tall rose- 
mary pines (P. Taeda L.). These lands constitute the oak flats, areas 
which are under water only during the wettest seasons of the year. 
They have usually a good soil and can be easily drained. 

AVhere the water is deeper in the sw^amps and remains longer 
grow the cypress, sweet gum, black gum, tupelo and yellow poplar. 

In the mud swamps along the larger streams there are, besides 
cypress and gums, ash, overcup oak, cottonwood, sycamore and 
•hackberry. Mixed with the other swamps, but covering less area 
and occurring only on sandy or peaty soil, are white cedar swamps, 
or "juniper bays,'' as they are usually called. The tree growth 
in these is largely and often entirely juniper or white cedar 
(Cliamaecyparis spheroiclea Spach.) and white bay (Magnolia glauca 
L.). In the extreme eastern part of this section, in the immediate 
vicinity of the sea-coast, there is a characteristic arborescent flora 
of red cedars and live oaks, while along its southern limits the 
palmetto and American olive (Olea am.ericana L.).give it a semi- 
tropical aspect. On the other hand, as the clay and loam of the 



16 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



hill country is neared, the oaks and hickories rapidly increase 
among the pines, making the transition to the hardwood uplands. 

While this does not exhaust the list, even of the useful trees of 
this section, it includes those of greatest importance and widest 
distribution, and those most characteristic of the region. Those, 
however, which at present are of greatest economic importance are 
the pines, cypress, white cedar, ash and yellow poplar, and these 
only will be considered in detail, as the other forest trees of this 
section are not yet subject to the destructive agencies which pre- 
vent the extensive propagation and even threaten the future exist- 
ence of at least one of the most valued of these trees. 

NOMENCLATURE OF THE FOREST TREES. 

The names of many trees occurring in the State are very much 
confused, some trees having several names applied to them in the 
same locality, while in other localities the same name is given to 
several distinct species. This is particularly true of the pines of 
the eastern section, so much so that they frequently cannot be dis- 
tinguished at all by their local names. Names w^hich are m very 
general use, and the use of which will prevent confusion, are those 
adopted by the United States Forestry Bureau. These names 
will be used throughout this report and are given in the following 
table along with the corresponding botanical terms and a list of 
the other names generally used in this State, with the region to 
which they are peculiar: 

Long-leaf pine {Pinus palustris Mill., P. australis Michx.) is 
known everywhere by this name, but long-straw pine is a term 
frequently substituted for it, the leaves of the pine after they have 
fallen being always called ''straw." Long-leaf old -field pine is the 
name giv(n to the 3^oung growth in fields, etc. Pitch pine is used 
in the north-eastern counties and by turpentine distillers. Heart 
pine, NortJi Carolina pine, Georgia pine and yelloiv pine are lumber- 
men's names. 

Loblolly pine (P. Taeda L.) is a name rarely heard in this 
State in the field, short-leaf or short-straw pine being the usual name. 
Long-straw pine is heard in the north-east, where this tree grows 



NOMENCLATrRK OF THE TREES. 



17 



with P. echiiiata (the short-leaf pine), and rosemary pine is used along 
the Cape Fear river. Slash pine, swamp pine and old-field pine are 
names frequently given to it. Sap pine, North Carolina pine and 
North Carolina sap pine are names in use among lumbermen. 

Shokt-leaf PINE (P. echinata Mill.). — Short-leaf pine and yelloiv 
p)ine are names given it in the middle and western sections of the 
State, and it is there also the old-field pine. It is spruce pine in 
eastern and south-eastern counties and is known among mill men 
as North Carolina and yellow .pine. 

Savanxa pine (P. serotina Michx.) is also called short-leaf, and 
other names for it are old-field pine, bastard short-leaf, swamp and 
pocosin pine. This pine is seldom recognized as distinct from the lob- 
lolly. Its most frequent designation where so distinguished is poco- 
sin pine, from its growing in flat, marshy land ; the flat, undrained 
lands, usually at the heads of streams, being called "^^^^^osins." 
These pocosins are covered with a low growth of gums, this pine, 
and an undergrowth of gallberry bushes, huckleberries and androm- 
edas, while in places there is more or less coarse, densely stooled 
grass and sedges. This land often appears to be on the point of 
becoming savanna land, should the drainage become more thorough 
or its surface be raised by an accumulating peat. The common 
names for the other trees of this region, which are being discussed 
as being at present of considerable economic importance, are widely 
known and merely deserve mention: Cypress [Taxodium distichum 
Rich.); yellow poplar (Liriode7idron tulipifera L.): white cedar 
{Chamaecyparis spheroidca Spach.), often c'dlled jwniper, a name that is 
also applied to a small shrub farther north. Although three species 
of ash occur no distinction is iliade between them, each being called 
simply ash. These three species are the ivater ash (Fraxinus platy- 
carpa Michx.), white ash (F. Americana L.) and red ash {F. puhescens 
Lam.). The first of these is a small tree confined in this State to 
swamps in the extreme eastern and southern parts. The other 
two are larger trees and occur in all parts of the State, either in 
swamps, along streams or in moist, cool places. 



18 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



ORIGINAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE PINES. 

The distribution of the pines and the respective area occupied by 
each in this State has changed a great deal since the tirst explora- 
tion of the country. 

Long-leaf pine (P. jjalustris Mill.). — The distribution of no tree 
has been more affected than that of the long-leaf pine by the trans- 
formation from a wilderness to a civilized country. The long-leaf 
pine formerly extended over the entire area under consideration, 
growing upon the drier portion of the sand. In the southern 
and south-eastern counties it formed a forest of pine, unmixed with 
other trees, but in the northern and western counties it was confined 
to the sandy or gravelly drift along the higher and drier ridges, 
here intermixed with short-leaf pine and scattering oaks, while 
poplar and loblolly pine occupied the lowlands. 

Early in the last century the production of tar and turpentine 
was a profitable industry north of Albemarle sound, the commodi- 
ties being taken to Xorfolk or Xansemond, Va., for market.* The 
crude turpentine was shipped to England and there distilled. The 
largest bodies of 2:»ine which then yielded turpentine were the one 
on ''Sandy Ridge," lying to the north of Edenton, and another 
east of Chowan river, in Gates county, and extending north into 
Xansemond county, Ya. Before 1850 these had cea.-^ed to be of 
economic consideration, such trees as had withstood the fires and 
wind having been converted largely into building material. Xow 
only isolated trees are to be seen here, scattered among black-jacks 
on the highest land. That they ever occupied much of the land 
might be questioned but for tlie tar-kiln mounds with which these 
counties are studded, the land having now a heavy growth of lob- 
lolly pine, and the mounds even bearing trees of this latter species 
two or three feet in diameter. 

Southward these pines occurred only scattered over the high, 
sandy land lying between Albemarle sound and Washington. Xow 
a tree of this species is rarely seen here. Between Washington and 
Xewbern on a high sand ridge, with an area of 35,000 acres, 
was the finest body of pine in the Pamlico peninsula, but there is 



*Wm. B3-rd, Westover ;MS., Petersburg. Va.. 1S4.1. p. 27. t,This manuscript was written in 1729). 



DISTKIJ5UTI0N OF THE TKEES. 



19 



now very little merchantable timber of this kind left on it. West 
of this body it occurred in Beaufort, Craven and Pitt counties, 
only thinly dispersed among the loblolly pines as far as Kinston in 
Lenoir county, where on a suitable soil it again became the domi- 
nant forest tree, extending west as far as Entield, and nearly 
to Raleigh. On the maritime sand hills just within the sounds 
there was a narrow belt in Currituck county, and in Carteret a 
wider belt in the middle of the county, lying north and south, 
parallel to the coast. In Currituck it is now confined to the south- 
ern promontory which projects into Albemarle sound, and in Car- 
teret there are only several million feet of mill timber on the sand 
ridges opposite Bogue sound. From Carteret southward there was 
some uniformity as to its manner of occurrence. It occupied a 
belt from two to twenty miles wide immediately on the coast; 
beyond that lay a poorly drained basin of variable width and 
broken contiguity, embracing oak flats and gum and cypress 
swamps. The long-leaf pine re-appeared west of this and extended 
in an unmixed forest, broken only by river swamp, streams and 
occasional "juniper bays," to its western limits at Cary to ten miles 
west of Troy, and to Lilesville in Anson county. It is in this 
stretch of country that the largest areas lie which are either par- 
tially or completely denuded of all valuable tree growth and where 
a future growth is being entirely kept down by the systematic burn- 
ings to which those lands are subjected. 

South of North Carolina the long-leaf pine extends through 
Eastern South Carolina and Georgia, Southern Alabama and Mis- 
sissippi, and west of the Mississippi river it re-appears in the sandy 
uplands of the valleys of the Red and Sabine rivers in Louisiana 
and easfern Texas, where it reaches its greatest development. 

The quality of the wood of this pine varies considerably with 
the character of the soil on which it grows. Where the humus 
covering on the soil is thin, and the sand very deep, the tree has a 
coarser grain and a larger proportion of sap than where there is 
more organic matter in the soil, and it is not so highly silicious. 
The stocks with the coarser grain and larger amount of sap wood 
are distinguished as pitcli pine, those with the finer grain and less 
sap wood as heart ov yellow pine. The pitcJi pine yields turpentine 



20 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AXI) FOREST PRODUCTS. 



more abundantly, can be worked for a longer time, and is less 
injured by repeated boxing and chipping. It is the more abund- 
ant in Onslow and Brunswick counties near the sea-coast, and on the 
highest sand hills of northern Bladen, Sampson and Cumberland 
counties. The yelloiv pine, containing mostly heart wood, makes 
the finer lumber and is the variety sought for by lumbermen. 

Loblolly pine (P. Taeda L.) was originally confined to the 
lower and moister land, especially where it was loamy or slightly 
clayey, over the entire coastal plain region and westward beyond 
it about forty miles. While its limits have not materially changed 
it has increased its acreage, occupying now some of the higher and 
more sandy land, especially tracts which have once been under 
cultivation and much of the moister soil once completely or par- 
tially occupied by the long-leaf pine. Some original loblolly land 
which had a clayey or gravelly soil has been occupied by a hetero- 
geneous growth of oaks, the white, post and black oaks and 
the black-jack being those that form the greater portion of the 
hardwood growth. As in the case of the long-leaf pine, the 
quality of the wood of the loblolly pine varies considerably with 
the different kinds of soil upon which it grows, and these varia- 
tions in the wood and habit of the tree have given rise to the use 
of diff'erent local names which are applied by many persons through- 
out this region to what are considered by them different varieties 
of the ''short-leaf pine," as the loblolly is commonly called. They 
are all, however, the same species (the loblolly pine) and their dif- 
ferences in quality of wood and appearance are due simply to dis- 
similarity of soil and other conditions which surround their growth. 
The principal kinds to which local names have been given are the 
following: 

(1). The rosemary pine has a fine-grained (or sometimes coarse) 
wood, with a thin sap. It grows along the borders of deep swamps, 
or on mounds and hummocks within them, which are usually 
flooded during winter and spring. It grows with gums, cypress 
and ash, and is here the largest of the native pines, frequently 
attaining a diameter of 5 feet and a height of 130 to 140 feet, 
with a clear trunk of 80 to 90 feet. It has a bright brown bark 
broken into large, smooth, rectangular plates. It is found from 



DISTRIBUTION OV THE TJIEES. 



21 



Virginia southward, the best developed trees recently observed 
being found on the Cape Fear river and its tributaries. South of 
the Cape Fear river they are not common. Some of these trees 
show on being cut that they are over 400 years old. 

(2) . The sivamp or slash pine, which is the most frequent form of 
the loblolly, has a coarse grain, with the sap wood occupying half 
or even more of the diameter. The tree is smaller and the wood 
not so highly valued as that of the preceding, and is also said to 
decay more rapidly. It is most common on the moist or wet lands 
north of the Neuse river, where it forms a compact forest; and 
through this region and in the adjacent parts of Virginia it is 
the chief lumber tree. 

(3) . The old-field pine is a growth of the loblolly pine which is 
often looked upon in. the south-eastern counties as a tree distinct 
from each of the preceding. It is, however, only a vigorous, 
exceedingly coarse-grained loblolly pine, which, having grown very 
fast, has only a small proportion of heart, logs 2 to 2J feet in diam- 
eter rarely having one-fourth of their diameter heart. Of this 
open-grained wood both heart and sap decay rapidly on exposure 
to the weather unless painted or otherwise protected. But it is 
now being used very largely for indoor work, for which it is well 
adapted. 

Short-leaf pine {Finns echinata Mill.) is found mixed with hard- 
woods on all the dark, gravelly loam of the uplands and is there 
the chief lumber pine. In the eastern counties it was originally 
only scatteringly distributed, even in those adjacent to Albemarle 
and Pamlico sounds, where it was most abundant. From here it 
has been largely removed. South of Neuse river it was a rare 
tree, being found in small clumps interspersed among the long-leaf 
pines where the soil was inclined to be a dry or gravelly loam. 
Some trees on fertile soils become very large and have been 
removed for '-tun timber." The wood of these larger trees is only 
a little coarser than that of the long-leaf pine; it is much lighter, 
though, and more brittle. On the sandy soil of the coastal plain 
region it does not^abundautly reproduce itself, and young trees are 
uncommon, but on the uplands it is rapidly increasing and its 
young growth promises to play an extensive part in the future 



22 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



development of this section. As it has the smallest cone and 
shortest leaf of any pine in the eastern portion of the State it can 
be readily distinguished. This pine has a wide distribution, 
extending north to Massachusetts and west to Kansas and eastern 
Texas. It always occurs mixed with hardwoods or other pines. 

Savanna pine cannot readily be distinguished from the lob- 
lolly in young trees, but mature trees are easily separated. It 
is a medium-sized tree, whose trunk holds its size well, being cov- 
ered with limbs and knots for the upper two-thirds of its height. 
The leaves are similar to those of the loblolly, but the bark is a 
darker brown and smoother. It is always covered with cones, 
which remain on for several seasons. These are shorter than the 
cones of the loblolly, conical, and usually have the scales closely 
oppressed. This species is of but little commercial value and is 
rarely used for the reason that the wood is coarse-grained and 
gummy, with, a large proportion of sap wood, and the trees are 
frequently unsound. The savanna pine has been but slightly 
affected by the causes which have operated to increase or diminish 
the distribution of the other pines. Being sawn for lumber only 
by accident, and growing only on a few kinds of soil, and such 
soils as are unfit for agricultural purposes, the amount of it stand- 
ing to-day is practically the same as formerly. 

FORESTS AND FOREST REGIONS IH EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 

The following descriptions of the counties of the coastal plain 
region show, in a general way, not onl}' the quantity of merchanta- 
ble timber now standing in the several counties, but also, when 
such figures were obtainable, the areas and character of such lands 
as have been lumbered. They also show the condition in which 
these lands were left after being cut over, and the kind of young 
gro,wth which is succeeding the one removed, whether it be the 
same or a different kind, and give such tracts as have been burnt 
over after lumbering, on which the tender young growth and trees 
which might serve for seed trees have been partially or completely 
destroyed. 

The acreage of the various kinds of timber, excepting the long- 



FORESTS AND FOREST REGIONS. 



23 



leaf pine, is ])repai'ed from information furnished by county officials, 
lumbermen and residents familiar with the lands of their respective 
sections. The amount of standing long-leaf pine is an estimate 
based on the number of barrels of rosin produced in each county, 
the unboxed round pine and the abandoned orchard also being 
taken into consideration. These figures were corrected in some 
instances by the estimates obtained direct from the acreage of stand- 
ing pine, the figures for such acreage coming from county records 
wdiich show the character of the timbered lands of the townships. 
Besides this a thorough personal examination w^as made of the 
condition of the timbered lands in different sections of each county. 

The counties, beginning with those that lie nearest to the coast 
and proceeding inland, have been grouped according to the char- 
acter of their dominant economic timbers as they stand at the 
present time. 

The seaboard region lies along the coast or but a short dis- 
tance inland. It has an elevation of from 10 to 100 feet above 
the sea-level. Its average altitude, how^ever, is not over 30 feet, 
and the only points wdiich attain an elevation above 70 feet are 
a line of drifting sand dunes along the north-east coast, which 
in places are over 100 feet high.* The counties included in this 
region are Columbus, Brunswick, Pender, Onslow, Duplin, Carteret, 
Jones, Craven, Pamlico, Beaufort, Hyde, Dare, Tyrrell, Washington, 
Chowan, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden and Currituck. These 
counties have loblolly pine as the dominant forest tree, though in 
the most southern ones there is considerable long-leaf pine, and 
there are numerous swamps with a growth of sweet and black gums, 
cypress and white cedar. 

The inland loblolly pine region, which lies along the Neuse 
river and north of it, farther inland than the seaboard, embraces 
the counties of Gates, Hertford, Bertie, Martin, Pitt, Greene, Edge- 
combe, Wilson, Lenoir, Wayne and Johnston. Their elevation is 
slightly higher than that of the seaboard counties, and will aver- 
age between 100 'and 150 feet, being higher toward their western 
borders. Their upland growth is nearly all loblolly pine, except 



*GeologA- of North Carolina^ W. C. Kerr, Vol. I, 1875, pp. 13-19. 



24 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



that in Lenoir, Wayne and Johnston counties there is considerable 
long-leaf pine. There are few swamps except along the streams. 

The PINE-BARREN REGIONS. — The counties containing the larger 
portion of the pine-barren areas are New Hanover, Sampson, Bladen, 
Robeson, Cumberland, Harnett, Richmond and Moore. These lie 
south of the Neuse river and just west of the southern seaboard, 
excepting New Hanover, which is situated at the mouth of the 
Cape Fear river. The altitude of these counties varies between 
about the same limits which were given for the inland loblolly 
pine counties. Long-leaf pine or the sand black-jack, which has 
largely replaced it, is the characteristic growth of these counties. 

The transition region. — Nash, Halifax and Northampton 
counties form a tier of counties which are transitional between the 
loblolly uplands and the hardwood hills. These in their western por- 
tions have an altitude of from 200 to 400 feet, while their eastern 
portions lie at a lower level. They have no swamps except narrow 
strips of alluvium lowlands along the streams, which are subject to 
overflow. Montgomery, Chatham and Wake form another tier of 
transitional counties. They lie partly in the long-leaf pine belt 
and partly in the hardwood hill country. The western portions of 
these counties reach an altitude varying from 450 to 700 feet; but 
along the streams and in the more easterly portions their altitude 
is considerably less. 

THE SEABOARD REGION. 

Brunswick county has in its western part 4,000 acres of white 
cedar land, most of it located along Juniper creek, Green swamp 
and its ramifications, and 20,000 acres of excellent cypress and 
loblolly pine lands which have never been lumbered. The lum- 
bered districts lie in the northern part of the county along the 
W. C. & A. R. R. and in the northern arms of the Green swamp, 
which are tributary to the Cape Fear river. Much timber has 
also been rafted out by way of Waccamaw river from the extreme 
western part of the county to the mills at Georgetown, S. C. The 
oak lands bordering the numerous swamps are equal in area to 
the cypress lands and are destined to become very valuable. The 
entire swamp area is 166,000 acres, one-half of which is gum 



THE SEABOARD REGIOX. 



25 



swamps and cane brakes. The cutting has been done gradually in 
these swamps and the young growth is in a fair condition. The 
long-leaf pine lands lie in the southern and central parts of the 
county and consist mostly of turpentine orchards either still being 
worked or now abandoned. There are in this county 130,000,000 
feet of standing long-leaf pine. 

Columbus county has in its southern and eastern parts, along 
AVaccamaw river and the lake swamp and in Green bay, some 
very fine cypress. These bodies have in part been lumbered. In 
White and Brown marshes and in the western section of the 
county, along Lumber river and Big swamp, there are large tracts 
of unlumbered cypress lands. The total area of cypress in the 
county is about 32,000 acres. In Green bay swamp, from which 
large quantities of white cedar have already been taken, there still 
remains a great deal more. There are 60,000 acres of swamp lands 
in the county. On the level pine flats there are between ten and 
twenty thousand acres of loblolly pine, largely second growth, 
Tery little of wdiich has ever been cut. The long-leaf pine lands 
lying in the central and northern portions of the county have 
145,000,000 feet of merchantable pine standing on them. 

DuPLix COUNTY contains about 12,000 acres of cypress swamp 
along the North East river and its tributaries. Adjacent to the 
streams much of the best timber has been culled or picked over. 
The remaining merchantable cypress lies principally along North 
East river, Back swamp, Goshen, Lockwood and Cypress pocosins. 
There are excellent water oak, willow oak and swamp chestnut 
oak in the flats bordering the above-mentioned swamps and 
Angola bay. There is some ash and yellow poplar, but the wood 
of neither tree is here of a superior quality. Over one-half of the 
swamp area, which amounts to about 38,000 acres, is covered with 
compact forests of black and sweet gum and tupelo. The loblolly 
pine, which is largely second growth, occupies about 50,000 acres. 
There is still some rosemary pine on the more fertile lands around 
the smaller swamps. The quantity of standing long-leaf pine is 
not large, only 68,000,000 feet. This county and Pender have 
furnished a great deal of timber for the Wilmington mills. 

Pender county. — Several of the swamps of this county are 
2 



26 FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



continuations of the swamps of Duplin which lie along the North 
East river. Besides these there is Holly Shelter swamp, a large 
swamp in the eastern section of the county and extending into 
Onslow county. There is altogether 15,000 acres of cypress land, 
one-third of which has been culled, the largest and finest trees 
having been cut out to make drawn shingles from them. The 
finest cypress is located in Holly Shelter and the North East river 
swamp. Angola bay, lying partly in this count}^ and partly in 
Duplin, covers 120,000 acres. Through this swamp there are 
extensive areas which have a very poor, sandy soil and are covered 
only w4th reeds and brambles and the savanna pine. There is a 
considerable area of water oak and swamp white oak flats border- 
ing the swamps. The swamp area is about 160,000 acres. The 
loblolly is largely second growth and occupies the flat pine lands 
of the middle section. There are 90,000,000 feet of long-leaf pine 
standing in the county. 

Onslow county. — Although this county has a very large swamp 
area, over 100,000 acres being swamp, only about 4,000 acres of it, 
consisting of narrow strips along the streams, can be called cypress 
land. Both White Oak swamp and Holly Shelter swamp are 
fringed with a broad belt of swamp white oak and water oak flats. 
At least one-third of these swamps is "gladey," being covered with 
gallberry bushes, or cane brakes and a scrubb}^ growth of savanna 
]3ines, and has a soil of sand that is exceedingly barren of fertility 
and forests. There are no extensive areas of heavily timbered 
gum- swamp in the county. Loblolly lands, covering 58,000 acres^ 
occupy the greater part of the center of the county, while the 
long-leaf pine lies chiefly in the north-western part. There are 
60,000,000 feet of the latter standing. The sand hills adjacent to 
the coast, formerly covered with long-leaf pine, are now almost 
denuded. In parts of the county near the coast there is a scatter- 
ing growth of red cedars. They are, indeed, in this and Carteret 
counties more abundant than in any other portions of the State, 
but are generally found in considerable numbers on all the 
"banks" and islands skirting the coast. White cedar occurs in 
several "bays" in the western section of the count}^, and forms the 
growth of a "bay" of considerable size near the source of White 



THE SEABOARD REGION. 



27 



Oak river. The loblolly and cypress have been removed to a large 
extent from the territory drained by AVhite Oak river. Lumber- 
ing has only lately begun, however, in other parts of the county. 

Carteret county. — There is now found in Carteret county 
scarcely any cypress suitable for mill purposes. The loblolly pine 
area is about 30,000 acres, over one-half of which have been lum- 
bered. In southern Carteret, near the coast, there are 20,000,000 
feet of long-leaf pine, all consisting of timber standing in aban- 
doned orchards. In the eastern section of the county there is an 
open pocosin of 80,000 acres, bordered with oak flats, but farther 
in only poorly timbered with savanna pine or in places entirely 
023en. 

Craven county. — Although extensive lumbering has been car- 
ried on in this county for over half a century it has large tracts of 
second growth of loblolly forest which have never been cut into. 
The long-leaf pine was first removed and was rapidl}^ replaced by 
the loblolly pine, except on the high, sandy lands lying north of 
the Neuse river. Most of the lumber now manufactured in the 
county is from this latter pine, although for some mills the savanna 
pine furnishes a great many logs. There are nearly 200,000 acres of 
swamp in the county, the Dover swamp, lying in the south-western 
section, having an area of over 120,000 acres. This swamp is 
sandy, and in the interior is covered with an open growth of the 
savanna pine and occasional cane brakes. It has been partially 
lumbered. The other swamps are fringed with swamp chestnut, 
oak or water oak flats, which have never been cut into. Besides 
the sw^amp lands there is a great deal of loblolly pine land south 
of the Neuse, which has been more or less cut over. North of the 
Neuse the loblolly pine lands are in about the same condition as 
on the southern side. There are in the county probably 38,000 
acres of unlumbered loblolly pine land. The supply of cypress 
and ash in the river swamps is nearly exhausted. Swift creek and 
Trent river being now the principal sources of supply. 

Jones county lies between Craven and Onslow counties and is 
penetrated by some of the largest swamps in this region. Dover 
swamp lies in the northern part of Jones, and White Oak swamp 
covers a large part of the territory south of the Trent, which flows 



28 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



through the center of the county and with its tributaries drains 
nearly its entire area. In the extreme eastern part lies the great 
pocosin of which Catfish lake is the center. This pocosin, extend- 
ing eastward, occupies under different names much of the territory 
of southern Craven. All of these swamps in their interior have 
considerable tracts of land entirely untimbered, or covered with 
scattering savanna pines, small maples and gums, and have a large, 
unproductive soil of silt. They are, for the most part, bordered by 
extensive oak flats, though around White Oak swamp there are 
still large quantities of yellow poplar, ash and cypress. The cypress 
along the Trent river has been largely removed. The entire swamp 
area in tlie county approximates 125,000 acres. Excepting some 
narrow strips of sand hills lying parallel to the Trent river, which 
have a few million feet of long-leaf pine on them, the rest of the 
county consists of flat, loblolly pine lands, which have been largely 
cut over. There are between 25,000 and 30,000 acres, mostly lying 
in the w^estern part of the county, yet in a virgin state. This 
county yearly supplies several million feet of logs for the mills at 
Newbern. 

Pamlico county has 3,000 acres of white cedar swamp, partly 
lumbered, lying near Vandemere and along the western edge of 
Big Gum swamp in the northei^n part of the county. There are 
7,000 acres of cypress swamp, over half of which are lumbered. 
This cypress swamp lies near the mouth of Bay river and in Gum 
swamp. The remaining swamp area is heavily timbered with yel- 
low poplar, gums, chestnut oaks and water oaks. The soil of these 
swamps, though inclined to be peaty, is exceedingly fertile. The 
loblolly formerly covered all the rest of the county with the excep- 
tion of a narrow strip of high, sandy land in the north-western sec- 
tion, which, in the character of its soil and the kinds of trees which 
grew on it, approached the pine barrens. There is now, however, 
no merchantable long-leaf pine in the county and not more than 
10,000 acres of loblolly pine suitable for milling purposes. The 
central part of Big Gum swamp is open, covered with scattered 
savanna pines and an undergrowth of gallberries, huckleberries, 
brambles, etc. 

Beaufort county. — There is some cypress along Chocowinity, 



THE SEABOARD REGION. 



29 



Blount and the other streams of the county, but the supply is 
rapidly being exhausted. The loblolly pine, which had an original 
area of over 100,000 acres, has been largely removed except in the 
north-eastern section. Much of the best oak in the county has been 
converted into staves for the West Indies trade. 

The Pamlico peninsula, consisting of the counties of Hyde, 
Dare, Tyrrell and Washington, is largely swamp, having over 
1,000,000 acres of swamp in it. The uplands consist of narrow 
strips surrounding the swamp and land which has been drained 
around lakes Phelps, Pungo and Mattamuskeet. Around the east- 
ern edge of the swamp and enclosing the sound is a narrow strip 
of treeless sand dunes. Much of the soil of the swamp, especially 
in Dare, Hyde and Tyrrell, is peaty and covered with a growth of 
white cedar and bays. There is estimated to be about 40,000 acres 
of white cedar now in the swamp. The cypress acreage is not near 
so large as formerly, but there is still a^large amount standing. 
The largest bodies lie in Tyrrell and Washington counties. The 
cypress lands, too, are the most fertile, and have to a large extent 
been drained and put under cultivation. Along the outer edges 
of the swamps are oak fiats, which in Hyde are very extensive. 

The northern portions of Dare, Tyrrell and Washington, border- 
ing on the sound, have a growth largeh^ of loblolly pine w4th some 
oak lowlands. The standing pine has been removed from over 
half of this area, which is about 100,000 acres. In western Dare 
there are also extensive tracts of pine lands which extend into 
Beaufort count}'. Much of the swamp in Washington and Tyrrell 
counties is thinly timbered with the savanna pine. There is a 
great deal of soft maple and yellow poplar scattered through the 
swamp, and in places on the most fertile soils are considerable 
quantities of hickory, both the shag-bark and white-heart hickory. 
Lumbering has been one of the leading industries of these coun- 
ties for a great many years, the numerous canals and streams which 
penetrate the region affording great facilities for removing timber. 

The counties north of Albemarle sound are so similar in the 
character of their forests and soil, and are so closely connected with 
each other, that they can best be described as one body. Five 
counties occupy this territory, Choivcm, Perquimans, Pasquotank, 



30 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



Camden aud Currituck, lying from west to east in the order named. 
All except Chowan are penetrated in the northern parts by the Dis- 
mal swamp, or arms of it which lie on the boundary between this 
State and Virginia. About 65,000 acres of Dismal swamp area lie 
in these counties. Although the swamp varies a great deal in 
character of soil, most of it is peat}^ and was formerly covered by 
a heavy growth of white cedar. All of this cedar swamp has been 
lumbered, except about 8,000 acres, and about 8,000 acres have 
been repeatedly burnt over, effectually destroying all trees, and in 
places burning out the soil to a great depth. There were some nar- 
row tracts of cypress in these swamps, and also in the swamps 
along the streams, but the cypress, like the white cedar, has been 
largely removed,. These streams rise in the Dismal swamp and 
flow southward, cutting this territory into long divisions, forming the 
natural boundaries of the counties and convenient water-ways for 
removing timber along them. Oak was at one time abundant, but 
the finest has been cut out for staves and to supply the Norfolk 
navy yards. The finest pine also was removed many years ago for 
use in the navy yards. 

The construction of two canals, the numerous natural water- 
ways, and later a railroad crossing these at right angles, asso- 
ciated with the nearness of Norfolk and the facilities offered 
there for the shipment and marketing of lumber, had, as early 
as 1850, built up a large trade in timber and lumber from 
these counties. The lumber which is now manufactured is almost 
entirely from the loblolly pine. During the past decade there has 
been shipped from this section in the log over 800,000,000 feet 
board measure, while nearly as much more has been sawn by local 
mills; but such is the wonderful recuperative power of the loblolly 
pine forests on a suitable soil that now there remains not less than 
25,000 acres of merchantable pine. The production of timber in 
these counties is, however, not one-half of what it was ten years 
ago, and sooner or later the annual output wilf be reduced to the 
increase in the forest by the growth each year. 

These regions around the Dismal swamp were about the south- 
ern limits of the economic distribution of the holly, the trees reach- 
ing here a large size. Large quantities of holly, dogwood and soft 



THE INLAND LOBLOLLY PINE KEGION. 



maple have also been removed, but there is still a great deal left. 
Some sandy ridges near the middle of these counties were once cov- 
ered with long-leaf pine, but there are scarcely any trees of it left 
now. The area of these counties is 750,000 acres, over 95,000 of 
which are in swamps. The savanna pine is found at intervals 
through the swamps, and extends into Southern Virginia, as does 
the tupelo gum. Some of the cypress lands are largely timbered 
with gums. The soil, for the most part, is sand or a sandy loam, 
but in the Dismal swamp, where it is not peaty, it is usually com- 
posed of fine silt. The timber lands of these counties have, as a 
rule, been more thoroughly lumbered than any others in the State. 

THE INLAND LOBLOLLY PINK REGION. 

Gates county, like the region just described, lies on the Virginia 
line, and has the extreme eastern part lying in the Dismal swamp. 
The Chowan river, which forms the southern and western boundary 
of the county, has along its entire course a narrow swamp. There 
are 20,000 acres of white cedar lands in this swamp and several 
thousand acres in the Dismal swamp which are untimbered. The 
little cypress still standing in the county lies along Bennett's creek. 
Loblolly pine, which occupied the central and eastern parts of the 
county, growing on a sandy loam, has been removed, except between 
ten and twenty thousand acres which are in small tracts. In the 
w^estern part of the county is a high sand ridge resembling the pine 
barrens. The long-leaf pine has been removed from this and an 
open growth of loblolly and short-leaf pine with black-jack beneath 
them has taken its place. In the extreme north-western portion 
there is a strip of bright-colored loam soil, timbered with a heavy 
growth of post, black and red oaks. Most of the timber cut from 
this county is transported to Virginia. 

Hertford county is the first of a number of counties lying in 
the pine uplands which has no large swamps. The eastern and 
southern parts of the county have a sandy loam soil, in places 
silty and very compact, which was covered with a dense loblolly 
pine forest, now largely lumbered, through which were interspersed 
narrow strips of white and red oak lands. In the northern part of 
the county there is more oak and dogwood mingled with the pine. 



32 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



There are about 25,000 acres of unlumbered loblolly pine land. 
The cypress, which is confined to the alluvial land along the streams, 
is more abundant along the Ahosky and Pottecasy than any other 
streams. 

Bertie county has a soil and growth similar to those of Hert- 
ford county, consisting for the most part of upland loblolly pine 
lands. In the southern part, however, it is skirted by the Roanoke 
river, which is bordered with a broad swamp still having large 
quantities of white and red oaks, gums, maple, cotton wood, hickory, 
sycamore and elms and some ash and cypress in it. There is also 
some cypress along Cashie and Roquest creeks. Although the tim- 
ber yield of this county has been very large for a number of years 
there are now standing 65,000 acres of unlumbered loblolly pine. 
Early in this century Bertie county was known as the "pine forest," 
on account of the densit}^ and excellence of its forests of this tree. 

Martin county lies south of Bertie on the opposite side of the 
Roanoke. Its soil is similar to that of the last described counties, 
but the Roanoke river swamp is less continuous, being confined to 
several bends in the river in the eastern part of the county. Along 
the river there are some narrow sand ridges, now covered with 
black-jacks and small post and red oaks. The remainder of. the 
forest area is loblolly pine land, about two-thirds of which has 
been cut over. The county is the seat of extensive milling opera- 
tion*s. 

Pitt county, being drained in the northern and eastern parts by 
the Tar river and Grindle creek, one of its largest tributaries, has 
for many years furnished large qualities of timber for the mills at 
Washington. Along all the streams are large stretches of cypress 
swamp and oak lands, the latter forming virgin forests and the for- 
mer only partially lumbered. The loblolly pine near the larger 
streams has been extensively cut. In the southern and western 
sections the soil becomes more sandy, and the original growth, long-- 
leaf pine, has been replaced by loblolly pine, mixed with a low 
growth of oaks. The loblolly has never been removed from this 
section. 

Greene county, which lies just south of Pitt, has in the north- 
ern parts a soil similar to that of the adjacent portion of Pitt, and 



THE INLAND LOBLOLLY PINE REGION. 



33 



is covered with similar forests. Iii the southern section the soil is 
more sandy and there are numerous sand hills, ap}:)joaching the 
pine barrens, now nearly denuded of the long-leaf pine, which was 
once abundant, and largely covered with sand black-jacks. Along 
Contentnea creek and its numerous tributaries, which drain the 
entire county, are extensive tracts of cypress swamps. In the 
northern part of the county these swamps, which extend over into 
Pitt, have been but little lumbered; in the central portion, however, 
exploration has been carried farther. About one-half of the forest 
lands, or 30,000 acres, is still covered with merchantable loblolly 
pine. 

Edgecombe and Wilson counties lie west of those last described 
and have an average elevation of- about 50 feet higher than that 
of these counties. Their soil is considerably drier and more sandy 
than that of the section to the east of them, being a sandy loam, 
which in places passes almost into sand. The long-leaf pine, which 
primarily occupied these lands, has been largely destroyed and a 
scattering growth of loblolly pine, with an undergrowth of low 
post and red oaks and dogwood or thickets of black-jack oak, have 
taken its place. There are along the streams occasional strips of 
cypress swamp which have not been lumbered and there is a con- 
siderable quantity of other swamp timber, sweet and black gums, 
tupelo, soft maple, and occasional overcup and chestnut oaks. 
Although over one-half of the area of these counties is under cul- 
tivation, there is still standing a considerable quantity of mer- 
chantable loblolly pine. 

Wayne, another of the loblolly pine counties, has in the section 
contiguous to Wilson county a soil and forest similar to those of 
Wilson, but south of the Neuse river, which flows through the 
centre of the county, there are extensive tracts of pine barrens, 
stripped of pine and covered with sand black-jack oak or com- 
pletely denuded. Skirting the Neuse river and its tributaries are 
tracts of swampy alluvium, on which there are still merchantable 
gums and oaks, and in places cypress and ash. The loblolly pine 
(rosemary), which w^as once abundant along these lands, has for the 
most part been removed. There are several small white cedar 
•'bays" at different places in the county. The loblolly pine, except 



34 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



that along the streams, is all second growth and forms open forests. 
About one-fifth of the wood land, or 30,000 acres, is loblolly pine 
fit for mill timber. When removed this loblolly pine is apt to be 
succeeded by small oaks. There are now standing in this county 
probably 30,000,000 feet of scattering long-leaf pine. 

Lenoir county is situated on the Neuse just below Wayne, and its 
swamp lands along the Neuse are of the same character and in a 
similar condition. The extreme southern and western parts of 
the county are very sandy, and in places on the ridges there are 
important bodies of long-leaf pine, or black-jack oak, which in 
places has replaced it, wdiile between the ridges there lie very nar- 
row alluvial or peaty bottoms covered with a grow^th of swamp 
timbers. Scattered through the county are plains, at times inun- 
dated, on which there is a grow^th of oaks, maples, elms and ash. 
The eastern section is flat loblolly pine land covered with a heavy 
growth, except near the river; but there are scattered through this 
loblolly pine forest small pocosins covered with savanna pines 
and a variety of shrubs. There are about 30,000 acres of loblolly 
pine and 30,000,000 feet of standing long-leaf pine in the county. 

Johnston county lies west of Wayne and is also drained by 
the Neuse. Along the ri'ver and its numerous tributaries there 
are the usual strips of swampy alluvium covered with swamp 
timbers. In the eastern and southern parts of the county the soil 
is a sandy loam, which becomes more loamy toward the north and 
west, and the surface in these sections is more rolling and hilly. 
The timber on this loam consists of long-leaf pine, mixed with 
oaks and loblolly pine, and in the southern section near the river 
there are quantities of valuable loblolly pine. There has been 
very little milling done in the county, but considerable timber has 
been rafted to mills down the river. The long-leaf pine is being 
very rapidly replaced by the loblolly pine, the amount of the 
former now standing being only about 160,000,000 feet. 

THE PINE-BARREN REGION. 

In Robeson county there is along the dark loam lands of the 
Lumber river 28,000 acres occupied exclusively by the loblolly 



THE pinp:-barren region. 



35 



pine. This pine is in all stages of growth, and is gradually taking 
the place of the long-leaf pine as the latter is being destroyed by for- 
est fires or otherwise. Many of these tracts covered with loblolly 
pine appear, however, to have always been occupied by this tree 
which here forms, on soil sufficiently moist and loamy, small clumps 
of unmixed groAvth frequently 100 acres or more in extent. These 
trees are coarse-grained, largely of sap wood, and are from two 
to two and one-half feet in diameter. None of these have ever 
been cut for lumber. In Big swamp there is probably 5,000 acres 
of loblolly pine, which is largely of the rosemary variety, mixed 
with large gums and cypress trees. Only a part of this swamp 
has been lumbered. The area of the gum and cypress swamps is 
about 30,000 acres, lying in Big swamp and its tributary marshes, 
Flowers swamp and the other swamps along Lumber river. There 
has been very little lumbering done in them. There are no exten- 
sive oak flats in the count}" and little ash or poplar. On the long- 
leaf pine uplands, lying in the southern and northern sections of 
the county, there are 280,000,000 feet of merchantable timber. 
The pine lying immediately along the railroads has been to a large 
extent removed. 

Bladen county has about 12,000 acres of cypress land lying 
along Brown marsh. Big swamp. Cape Fear river. Colly and Turn- 
bull creeks. About 4,000 acres have been more or less thoroughly 
lumbered; and there are about 3,500 acres of white cedar swamp, 
which have to a large extent been cut over, but were left in a fair 
condition. This latter lies in Big Juniper bay and various smaller 
bays on the north side of the Cape Fear. There are large tracts 
of untouched oak flats and gum swamps mostly in the southern 
and western parts of the county. Good ash, except in the smaller 
swamps, is becoming scarce. This county has a swamp area of 
about 55,000 acres. The loblolly pine, except along the swamps, 
is usually scattering. There cannot be less than 10,000 acres 
occupied by this pine, only the finest and largest trees having been 
removed. The long-leaf pine lands of Bladen have been very 
badly treated. On either side of the Cape Fear river there are 
extensive tracts of "pine barrens," on which this ,pine has been 
very largely destroyed, so that it is really waste land. But there 



36 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



is still about 308,000,000 feet of standing long-leaf pine, lying- 
chiefly in the western and southern parts of the county. 

Neav Hanover county lies immediately on the coast, and con- 
sists largely of pine barrens. The long-leaf pine has been for the 
most part removed or destroyed. There are still, however, several 
million feet standing in different parts of the county. In the 
northern part along the North East river there is some swamp 
land timbered with gums and some oak. Smith's island, which 
lies at the southern extremity, is densely timbered with a growth 
of hardwoods, largely water and live oaks, interspersed with- pal- 
mettos. 

Cumberland county, like the northern part of Bladen, lies 
largely in the sand-hill region and contains considerable areas of 
"pine barrens," from wdiich the original long-leaf pine forests have 
been removed. In the eastern part of the county there is some 
white cedar along the streams or occupying small swamps, and 
along most of the deeper streams there is cypress There are no 
extensive bodies of merchantable oak or loblolly pine to be found. 
In the eastern part of the county the long-leaf pine has been largely 
cut out, but west of Fayetteville it forms extensive forests, extend- 
ing nearl}^ to the Moore county line; and there are probably 310,- 
000,000 feet of standing long-leaf pine in this region. 

Harnett county is situated north of Cumberland-, and that 
part of it lying south of the Cape Fear river, which divides the 
county into northern and southern halves, is a continuation of the 
I'olling sand-hill country with its piue barrens of Cumberland 
county. The larger part of these pine lands is in an exceedingl}^ 
bad condition, having been burnt over until there are extensive 
tracts entirely denuded of all tree growth. There is ver}^ little 
cypress to be found in the county. North of the Cape Fear river 
the countr}^ merges into the dark loam uplands covered with a 
young growth of oaks, dogwood and loblolly pine, which are 
replacing the long-leaf pine. There is only about 200,000,000 
feet of long-leaf pine now standing in the county. Harnett county 
furnishes some timber for the Wilmington market, last year it 
having been estimated that about 1,500,000 feet, board measure, 
of long-leaf pine timber was rafted down the Cape Fear river. 



THE PINE-BARREN REGION. 



37 



Sampson county. — The oak lands of Sampson lie in the north- 
ern part of the county and are covered with a growth of young 
white and post oaks. There are no large bodies of water or chest- 
nut oak flats. The cypress and gum swamps lie in narrow strips 
along Black river and Big and Little Cohary creeks. The unlum- 
bered cypress lands cover about 3,800 acres, and about an equal 
area has been cut over to obtain timber for the Wilmington mar- 
ket. The long-leaf pine lies chiefly in the southern and central 
parts of the county. The standing pine amounts to about 330,- 
000,000 feet. The loblolly pine, largely second growth, is scat- 
tered through all sections of the county and occupies about 35,000 
acres. This county has for many years furnished a large part of 
the timber that is carried to Wilmington. 

Richmond county. — The larger portion of this county may be 
described as being typical sand-hill country, the surface being 
undulating and even hilly, and the soil sandy; the sand often 
being many feet deep. In the extreme western part there is along 
the Pee Dee a narrow strip of alluvial swamp, heavily timbered 
with red, overcup and chestnut oaks, red maple and hickory. In 
the eastern part of the county there are white cedar, gums and 
€ypress of inferior quality along the streams. The long-leaf pine 
which covers the remainder of the county has, over the larger 
areas, been removed when adjacent to the railroads. Lumbering- 
is, however, largely carried on in 'the northern part of the county 
at the present time, and extensive bodies of timber still remain 
there and in the eastern section. There remains probably 220,000,- 
000 feet of standing long-leaf pine. 

Moore county lies north of Richmond and has in the southern 
part, along the sand hills, a similar soil and topography. This 
section, embracing the southern two-thirds of the county, is cov- 
ered with long-leaf pine and is the seat of the largest long-leaf 
pine industry in the State at the present time. In the middle 
portion of the county, where the soil is more loamy, there is con- 
siderable post oak and small hickories mixed in with the pine 
along the hill-sides and yellow poplars and a few loblolly pines 
along the lowlands. The northern third of the . county has a 
loamy soil covered with a growth of hardwoods mixed with long- 



38 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



leaf and short-leaf pines. Although extensive lumbering opera- 
tions have been carried on in these pineries for the past fifteen 
years, so that all timber near existing lines of railroad has been 
removed, there are probably 320,000,000 feet of long-leaf pine still 
standing in the county. The long-leaf pine is succeeded in this 
county, as is the case in Richmond, by sand black-jack oaks. Tn 
the very sandy parts of the county there is only a little loblolly 
pine, with small cypress trees and some white cedar scattered along 
the streams. 

THE TRANSITION REGION. 

Northampton county is situated on the boundary between the 
loblolly pine uplands and the hardwood hills which cross the west- 
ern third of the county. The loblolly is mixed in places with scat- 
tered short-leaf pine, and is, except along the swamps and streams, 
ver}^ largely a second growth. It has never been lumbered. The 
southern and western boundary of the county is the Roanoke river, 
and along its entire course there is a strip of alluvial swamp from 
one to three miles wide, covered where there have been no clear- 
ings made with a heavy growth of trees similar to that along the 
same river in Bertie county (p. 20). 

Halifax county. — The eastern half of Halifax county, like the 
greater part of Northampton, is a fairly level region, with an aver- 
age elevation of but little more than 100 feet above sea-level. The 
soil is generally a sandy loam, and the forests of this region con- 
sist mainly of loblolly pine with the short-leaf pine, post oak, Span- 
ish and white oak interspersed. On the northern boundary of the ' 
county along the Roanoke river lowlands, which are of less extent 
on this side of the river than on the northern side in Northam}:)4on 
county, are at intervals forests of black gum, sweet gum, red maple, 
elm, red oak, ash, sycamore, hackberry, and other deciduous trees. 
Occasionally one finds on portions of these fertile lowlands, the cul- 
tivation of which ceased some fifty years ago, vigorous but scatter- 
ing black walnut trees nearly 2 feet in diameter and more than 50 
feet high. Beech creek, likewise, with its larger affluents, Marsh and 
Beaver Dam creeks, have along their courses some ash, cypress, 
gums and tupelo, and these streams are bordered in places with 
extensive flats of scarlet, chestnut, overcup and willow oaks. The 



THE TRANSITION RE(J10N. 



39 



western half of the county is quite hilly, as are also the western 
portions of Northampton and Nash counties. The soil, while 
sandy, gravelly and pebbly in places, is in general much more 
clayey than that of the eastern section. The forests of this west- 
ern half of the county are mostly oaks, hickories and other hard- 
wood trees, with a few scattering short-leaf pines. 

Nash county has a soil and topography much resembling those 
of eastern Wake, being a rolling country, hilly along the larger 
streams and having a light loam soil. The growth, also, is like 
that of Wake, consisting of scattered long-leaf pines, about 20,000,- 
000 feet, board measure, standing, which is rapidly being replaced 
by loblolly, or on close soils by oaks, dogwood and hickories. The 
long-leaf pine extends west to the clay hills; on which the 
hardwoods of the uplands are mixed with short-leaved pines. There 
is more loblolly pine here than in Wake, both original growth and 
second growth. There has been very little lumbering done in the 
county except immediately along the lines of the railroads. 

Montgomery county^ lyi^^g west of Moore, has in the eastern 
part, on a loam soil, a heavy growth of long-leaf pine which has 
never been lumbered. This growth toward the middle of the 
county is mixed with short-leaf pine and hardwoods, and there the 
hardwood uplands begin. This is the finest body of pine for lum- 
ber now in the State, having been worked for turpentine for only 
four or five years. There are 338,000,000 feet of long-leaf pine in 
the county , and about 40,000,000 feet of short-leaf. There are 
some extensive bodies of hardwoods in the Uwharrie mountains in 
the western section. 

Chatham county now has an inconsiderable amount of long- 
leaf pine in the extreme south-eastern section. Its place has been 
taken as it was removed by a heterogeneous growth of oaks and 
the short-leaf pine. In the middle part of the county there are 
along the ridges short-leaf pines and hardwoods, while the low- 
lands along the Haw and the Deep rivers are timbered in most 
places wdtli oaks, maple and loblolly pine. 

Wake couNTY^has in the eastern part considerable long-leaf pine 
still standing, mixed with a young and vigorous growth of oaks 
and dogwood. The soil is for the most part a reddish loam, inter- 



40 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



spersed with sandy ridges, on which the long-leaf pine, where it 
has not been replaced by black-jacks, is more abundant than on 
the loam. There are 30,000,000 feet of this pine standing. East 
of the center of the county the short-leaf pine appears, and from 
there westward it is the commonest old-field pine. There is a very 
large acreage of both second growth short-leaf and loblolly pines 
in the county and probably 60,000,000 feet of their original growth 
standing in the eastern section. To the north and west of Raleigh 
the surface is more broken and the oak growth more abundant, 
except along the gravelly ridges, where there is short-leaf pine. West 
of AVake the loblolly pine becomes less frequent. 

EXISTING SUPPI.Y OF TIMBER IN EASTERN NORTH CAROI.INA. 

In conclusion, it can be said that certain kinds of timber, both 
useful and abundant, are as yet of little commercial importance 
in most parts of the coastal plain region. Such are water, willow, 
overcup and chestnut oaks, sweet and black gums, soft maple 
and sycamore. The supply of some other kinds of timber, such 
as ash and holly, has been nearly exhausted. 

There are still large quantities of cypress standing in some coun- 
ties, while in others the supply has been almost exhausted. This 
tree is of very slow growth and shows little tendency to reproduce 
itself abundantly, the regrowth after it has been removed gener- 
ally being sweet and black gums. The soil of cypress swamps is 
usually one of the best of swamp soils and when dra*ined is very 
productive; so these swamps are being put under cultivation. Con- 
siderable areas have already been reclaimed for agricultural pur- 
poses, and a great deal more is to be thus reclaimed in the near 
future. It is evident from this that in this State there will never 
be any general second growth of cypress to take the place of that 
which is now being removed. 

White cedar, which usually occurs with white bays in small 
swamps or in clumps in other swamps, flourishes only on a peaty 
or very sandy soil which is largely mixed with organic matter. 
These soils are unfit for agricultural purposes and their fertility is 
easily destroyed by fire during very dry seasons, especially where 



EXISTING SUPrLY OF TIMBER. 



41 



the dried debris resulting from logging fills the woods. Unless 
these swamps are burnt out a growth of the same species is most 
likely to replace the white cedar after lumbering, but in the event 
of a fire the white bay {3Iagnolia glauca L.) will succeed and 
usually retain possession. Although white cedar is very valuable, 
grows rapidly, and there is only a comparatively small amount 
in the Eastern United States, these swamps are from carelessness 
frequently burnt and the chance of a regrowth thus destroyed. 

The loblolly pine, now generally recognized as a valuable lum- 
ber tree, is the dominant pine over a large area, and has been 
removed from only a relativel}^ small part of the territor}^ it occu- 
pied. It is a tree of rapid growth which seeds abundantly and 
usually follows itself after lumbering. Oak occasionally replaces it 
£is the hardwood uplands are neared. However, on account of the 
destruction of a great part of the young growth, these second 
growth forests are never as dense as they should be. This produces 
less timber to the acre and is the cause of many deformities, as 
knotty, crooked and short-stemmed stocks. The loblolly pine is 
also taking the place of the long-leaf pine in the forest on moist 
soils, and on drier soils when the latter have been under cultiva- 
tion. The standing merchantable loblolly pine can be said to cover 
about 1,150,000 acres in the eastern part of the State. Allowing 
a cut of 4,000 feet, board measure, to the acre, this will make 
4,600,000,000 feet of standing loblolly pine. At the present rate 
of cutting, 290,000,000 feet, board measure, having been reported 
as cut during 1893, this would last fifteen years. The final amount 
cut will, however, be much larger than this, since in the mean- 
while there will be a constant increase each year in the amount of 
young growth available for milling purposes and a considerable 
increase in the size of the merchantable pine now standing. The 
entire acreage of loblolly pine land, including the lumbered areas 
with second growth on them, the unlumbered and lands where it 
is taking the place of the long-leaf pine, is considerably over 
4,000,000 acres. 

There are possibly 300,000,000 feet of the savanna pine in poco- 
sins and around the edges of swamps and nearly as much short- 
leaf pine situated in the counties bordering the oak uplands. Most 
of this will be lumbered along with. the loblolly pine. 



42 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



The total amount of merchantable long-leaf pine now standing in 
the State is. about 3,103,000,000 feet. The estimate of Mr. Kid- 
der, of Wilmington, N. C, prepared for the United States Census 
Department, fixes the amount of timber, standing, on May 31, 
1880, in the counties south of the Neuse river, at 5,229,000,000 
feet. This, compared with the amount now standing in the same 
counties, shows a decrease of 2,000,000,000 feet in the amount of 
merchantable pine in thirteen and one-half years. At this rate of 
decrease in less than twenty years the long-leaf forests will be a 
thing of the past. The rate of decrease is, however, one of con- 
stant acceleration, since the yearly output of the mills is increas- 
ing and there is a much larger amount of abandoned orchard at 
the mercy of wind and fire. 

At the end of twenty years there may remain scattered bodies 
of this pine remote from transportation facilities or too small to be 
profitably sawn, but there will be nothing more. The length of 
time the long-leaf pine will last can be stated with more certainty 
than in case of the loblolly pine, because in the case of the former 
there is no appreciable addition of merchantable timber from 
second growth woods. 

The total amount of merchantable pine of all kinds {loblolly, 
long-leaf, short-leaf and sacanna) in these Eastern North Carolina 
counties can be placed at about 8,200,000,000 feet, board measure. 

The amount of standing swamp timber cannot be estimated with 
any degree of accuracy, since no average can be arrived at for the 
cut per acre, and only approximate figures can be gotten for the 
acreage. Cypress, for instance, will cut from 500 to 5,0!)0 feet to 
the acre as a general thing, but numerous reports were made by 
trustworthy lumbermen of cuts running from 15,000 to 20,0(^0 feet 
to the acre. There is a very wide range given for the amount of 
white cedar to the acre, but not so wide as that for cypress. The 
water oak and chestnut oak lands usually have a more uniform 
growth, and will cut from 1,500 to 3,000 feet to the acre. One of 
the chief difficulties connected with the handling of this oak, 
where such has been attempted, is that when green it has a greater 
specific gravity than water and cannot be floated out unless rafted 
with lighter woods. The same is true of the elm, hickory and 
much of the gum. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE WASTE LANDS OF EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 

It is a very generally receiyed opinion that the eastern part of 
North Carolina, especially that part coyered with the long-leaf 
pine, is so densely wooded that for yery many years at least there 
will be there not only an abundant supply of timber, but of a tim- 
ber of the yery finest quality. The long-leaf pine for nearly two 
hundred years has fully supplied all demands, not showing until 
yery recently the least sign of failing. During the period between 
1860 and 1870 the timber of the "pine barrens" was treated in a 
most reckless manner, and the fires which passed through them 
left traces which will last for many years to come, burning thou- 
sands of acres as clean as if they had been placed under cultiya- 
tion. The timber which sufi'ered most was that on the highest 
and driest land, where the ground was covered beneath the trees 
with a thick growth of wire-grass {Aristidd stricta Mx.) and such 
broom grasses as grow on dry, sandy soil {Andropogon tener Kunt. 
and A. Elliottii Chap.). 

The 3,100,000,000 feet, of merchantable long-leaf pine still 
standing might seem to be sufficient to last for building and 
fence material in districts not readily accessible to large lum- 
bermen for an indefinite time. But this is not so. The fact 
that since 1873 the output of turpentine in this State has fallen 
ofi* oyer one-half, which of itself gives a very vivid idea of the 
number and extent of the turpentine orchards that have been 
abandoned, shows that it is now only a question of a few years 
before the turpentine yield will be reduced ]3ractically to nothing. 
Tills will mean that all the orchards have been abandoned, and it 
will be only a short time after their being abandoned before the 
destruction of the timber takes place, either by fire or by its being 
blown down, or by the two agencies combined. 

The greater part of the dry upland soils of the pine belt are of 
two kinds : (1) the sandy loam soils of the level piney lands, and 
(2) the sandy soil, of nearly pure deep sand, characteristic of the 



44 



FORESTS, FOE EST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



pine barrens of the sand-hill regions. These barrens are dr}^ and 
frequently form large tracts of rolling or even hilly laud. 

The first of these soils is not unproductive and is well adapted 
to agriculture : and as the original growth of long-leaf pine is 
removed from it the loblolly pine and a small growth of different 
kinds of oak, mostly the post, Spanish and black oaks, take its 
place. In the pine barrens, on the other hand, no oaks will flourish 
except two very small, worthless trees, the sand black-jack and the 
"barren" willow oak, and no pine except the long-leaf pine. 
Unless the soil has been previously cultivated the loblolly pine 
does not take posession of these lands, even when there are numer- 
ous trees of this species standing near by in wet places. From 
this it follows that when these high sandy lands are being stripped 
of their original growth of long-leaf pine, if its young growth is 
not allowed to develop, no tree of economic importance will natu- 
rally take its place. The sand black-jack oak in twenty years will 
have matured and begun to decay, while in that time a pine has 
only fairly begun its life, although its usefulness, even then, will 
be much greater than that of the more quickly maturing black- 
jack. . 

There are few uses to which the black-jack can be put. Its 
small size excludes it from being employed in construction ; in con- 
tact with the soil it decays rapidly, and so is unfit for fence posts. It 
makes a very good fire-wood and is largely used for this purpose 
in Wilmington, Southport and other towns, and also in the coun- 
try. Its bark is said to be valuable for tanning, but although the 
growth of this tree covers a very large area it is doubtful if the 
yield of bark per acre would be sufficient to make it of any commer- 
cial importance. The upland willow oak is even of less impor- 
tance than the sand black-jack. While the presence of these trees 
is not pernicious, and is in fact much more beneficial to the land 
than would be a state of entire denudation of all forest growth, 
yet their growth is not near so valuable as that of the long-leaf 
pine, and the advantages arising from their presence are greatly 
inferior to those derived from a forest of the long-leaf pine of the 
same age. For this reason every means should be taken to enable 
the long-leaf pine to regain a firm hold on all high sandy land 



SCAKCITY OF TIMBER IN THE SAND-HILL KE(JI()N8. 



45 



which has now on it no growtli at all, or none of greater worth than 
the two oaks just referred to as growing on these lands. 

SCARCITY OF TIMBER IN THE SAND-HILL REGIONS. 

The exhaustion of the long-leaf pine forests is not a concern of 
the distant future alone, — something to be talked about and never 
to be realized. There are already localities, of limited area, to be 
sure, where there has never been a lumber mill, and with not one- 
tenth of the land under cultivation, where there is not now suffi- 
cient timber to properly fence the fields. The ^ district around 
White Hall, Bladen county, is such a one, and this place is in the 
veiy centre of the long-leaf pine belt. Here good pine for fencing 
has become so scarce that a "stock law" or "no fence law" has 
been secured by which all live stock is to be confined to the Cape 
Fear river bottom, and that alone, fenced in across a bend of the 
river. There are othe*' localities in Bladen, Sampson and Cum- 
berland counties with about the same proportion of land under 
cultivation that find it hard each year to secure rails necessary for 
fence repairs, and obtaining them becomes annually more difficult 
as the forests from which the material is procured diminish in size. 
It is usually the case that some tree succeeds this pine as it is 
gradually cut off or otherwise destroyed, and this tree is usually 
the sand black-jack, and it forms over the land where the pine 
has once been a thicket of low, scrubby trees, which in less than 
twenty years will die and be replaced by a similar growth. 

Scattered among these scrubby oaks are frequently stunted, 
knotty long-leaf pines, with a thin, sickly foliage of yellowish 
green, which are permitted to stand because they are regarded as 
useless. There are also large tracts of land on many acres of 
which there are no pines at all, and others where the black-jack 
even has not succeeded in getting a foothold, wire-grass and a few 
bushes being the extent of the vegetation. 

THE LARGER TRACTS OF BARREN LAND. 

Bladen county has its largest tract of this barren land in the 
northern part of the' county, between the Cape Fear river on the 



46 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



south and Black river on the north-east, extending eastward as far 
as Lion swamp and west nearly as far as ]^arkersburg. It is about 
18 miles long and from 4 to 10 miles broad, and has almost 70,000 
acres of waste land in it. There are on it, however, a few bodies 
of pine in excellent condition, which either have not been boxed, 
or if boxed have been carefully protected ; but for the most part 
it is covered with a scanty growth of sand black-jack, beneath 
which there is a great deal of densely tufted wire-grass, though in 
places there are only lichens and moss on the ground, or sometimes 
stretches of dazzling white sand. Here and there are small long- 
leaf pines, exhausted by the continued boxing. 

In depressions where the soil is wet there are gallberry " bays in 
which are a few savanna pines, but there is no loblolly pine except 
bordering the larger streams. These streams having loblolly pine 
along their banks are the Black and Cape Fear rivers. Colly swamp, 
Johns and Turnbull creeks. Colly swamp and Johns creek have 
in places a rich deep soil, formed of a fine silt largely mixed with 
organic matter, and could be easily drained. The drainage of Colly 
swamp for agricultural purposes is now being undertaken and it is 
probable that most of the swamp land will ultimately be drained, 
since it is much more fertile than the sand-barren uplands. This 
will mean, of course, the removal of the swamp timber. Although 
these streams have loblolly pine along their courses, its seed has 
never produced a young growth on any of the neighboring high 
sandy land; so that when the swamp timber is exhausted there will 
in reality be a dearth of building material throughout this region. 
The long-leaf pine timber from the tract was largely taken off to 
supply the mills at Wilmington, though much of it has been 
destroyed by fires. Even now some long-leaf pine timber, of an 
inferior quality, is obtained from here. 

The surface of the land is gentl}^ rolling; the soil is nearly pure 
sand, with a small percentage of other mineral matter in it, and the 
subsoil, which is a light yellow sandy loam, lies too deep beneath 
it (from 8 to 15 feet below the surface) to be reached by the roots 
of trees. Generally, there is no humus, the constant fires burning 
off the leaves and dead grass soon after they become dry. There 
are in Bladen county several smaller tracts of waste land, which 
lie south of the Cape Fear river. 



THE LARGER TRACTS OF BARREN LAND. 



47 



In Sampson county there is, perhaps, no single tract of waste 
hind which covers an area as large as 10,000 acres. Bnt beginning 
in the south-western section of the county, near Autryville, and 
following the Black river down, there are several small areas of 
from 3,000 to 8,000 acres, all of which areas are in a bad condition. 
These have been burnt over and in many instances are still covered 
with charred stumps or encumbered with fallen trees. The surface 
sand here is not as deep as in Bladen, the loam usually lying about 
three feet below the surface ; nor is it as continuous, being cut across 
by Big swamp, Big and Little Coharie, and by several other swamps 
and streams. The population here is thicker than on the southern 
side of the river, and there is more cleared land, but there is as 3"et 
no scarcity of good timber. As the trees are here worked for tur- 
pentine longer than elsewhere in the State there are less abandoned 
orchards and the forests are better protected. The combined area 
of all the waste tracts in this county amounts to about 25,000 acres. 

Cumberland county has in its eastern part a continuation of 
the sand-hills of northern Bladen. The land in some places is 
more hilly, and the loam subsoil lies usually at such a depth below 
the surface (5 to 20 feet) that the roots of many trees do not reach 
it. The waste land lies mostly east of Fayetteville, all along Rock 
Fish creek, and south and east of Manchester. There are, however, 
many bodies of excellent timber in this latter section of the county. 
Along some of the creeks in the south-eastern part of the count}' 
the land is almost bare of all tree growth, while in other places, 
particularly in the north-eastern part, there is a heavy growth of 
sand black-jack, which has an average height of about 15 feet. 
There are at least 40,000 acres of such barren land in Cumberland 
county. Although not one-tenth of the soil is under cultivation 
several reports from the county state that in many place's fencing 
material is becoming scarce. 

Timber, other than the long-leaf pine, is not abundant in most 
parts of the county. The streams all have narrow channels and 
there is not much hardwood or loblolly pine along them. There 
are several white cedar "bays," but these can supply no build- 
ing, material. West of Fayetteville there is the same kind of soil 
that there is in the eastern part of the county, but there is much 



48 FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



more timber standing. This part of the county is a succession of 
sand ridges and sand hills, which are covered with a fair growth 
of long-leaf pine. Nearly or quite all of this pine has been boxed, 
and although a considerable amount of lumbering has been done 
there remain large areas of valuable pine forests. 

Harnett county has in its southern parts a large area of waste 
land, which is in a worse condition than any other such tracts 
observed in the State. This is what is called the "Thomas Strange 
tract," which extends from the Lower Little river on the south to 
Little river on the north, and eastward 15 miles from Swann Station, 
on the C. F. & Y. V. R. R. This tract contains over 40,000 acres 
of waste land, two-thirds of which has but few merchantable pines 
on it and scarcely any sand black-jack. All of this except the 
part immediately adjacent to the railroad was reduced to its present 
condition by repeated forest fires, the thick wire-grass forming the 
fuel which carried the flames. The territory along the C. F. & Y. 
V. R. R. has been lumbered and there is still some lumbering 
operations going on along it where there are bodies of timber which 
have been protected from the fires. 

The topography of the southern part of Harnett is similar to that 
of Cumberland. It is a typical "sand-hill" region, and its soil is 
sand with the loam hdng very deep below the surface. The streams 
usually have narrow channels and very little hardwood or loblolly 
pine along them ; but along Upper Little river and the Cape Fear 
there are in places wide and well-timbered " bottoms." The north- 
ern part of the county has a salmon-colored gravelly loam soil on 
which loblolly pine and white oaks are replacing the long-leaf pine. 
In the western part of the county and extending east from Jones- 
boro there is another tract which was burnt over several years ago 
and much of the timber on it destroyed. This latter area is not 
" waste land " now, but it soon will be. Harnett county, being inter- 
sected by the Cape Fear river and two of its largest tributaries 
which afford transportation facilities, furnishes yearly a considerable 
amount of timber (long-leaf pine) for the Wilmington mills. 

MooRE COUNTY lias 60,000 acres of waste land, all of which has 
been recently lumbered, though much of it has been burnt off sub- 
sequently. This land has a heavy growth of young sand black- 



THE LARGER TRACTS OF BARREN LAND. 



49 



jack on it, and in the localities more recently lumbered there 
remain a few scattered pines. It lies in the eastern and southern 
parts of the county, along the railroads. In places there are some 
post and Spanish oaks with the sand black-jack oak, but there is 
almost no loblolly pine and no other material suitable for building- 
purposes except the long-leaf pine. When lumbering has ceased 
there will probably be over twice the area of waste land there now 
is, since all the southern section of the county is high rolling pine 
barrens, with a deep sandy soil. 

Richmond county has a soil in character similar to that of the 
southern part of Moore; but since lumbering has not been so 
extensively carried on in Richmond as in Moore there are in the 
former only about 40,000 acres of waste land, all of which have 
been lumbered except a few small tracts which have been burnt 
over. This waste land lies along the C. C. and R. & A. R. R's. 
It is covered with a thick growth of sand black-jack oak, and there 
are undersized pines scattered over a part of the area, many of them 
still being worked for turpentine. Except the long-leaf pine there 
is very little timber in the eastern part of the county suitable for 
building material. 

Robeson county has very little waste land and very littl-e deep 
sand except in the northern part of the county. In that section, 
adjacent to the Cape Fear river, there are possibly 10,000 acres 
with little tree growth except sand black-jack oak. In the middle 
and southern parts of the county the loblolly pine is taking the 
place of the long-leaf pine. 

Brunswick county contains several thousand acres of waste and 
very thinly timbered lands along or near the sea-coast and the Cape 
Fear river. While these lands w^ere never heavily timbered they 
are now rapidly getting into a deplorable state, which is a presage 
of the final destruction of the long-leaf pine. 

Columbus county has about as much waste land as Brunswick. 
This land is in small tracts lying in the southern part of the county 
and the sand black-jack 'oak has taken possession of most of it. 
Good loblolly pine is, however, abundant through most sections of 
this county. 

Wayne county 'has 20,000 or more acres of waste land covered 



50 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



only with sand black-jack oak and very scattering, exhausted long- 
leaf pines. This land lies in the central and southern parts of the 
county. Good timber is getting scarce in many places. Much of 
this sandy land in this and other counties has been highly ferti- 
lized and is cultivated in truck farms, vineyards and fruit orchards. 

DuPLix COUNTY contains several thousand acres, in the northern 
part, covered only with the sand black-jack oak, through which, 
occasionally, there occurs a few scattering lon^'-leaf pines. Near 
the railroads a great deal of this sandy land, which has been highly 
fertilized, is used in this county for truck garcl-ening. 

Onslow and Xew Hanover counties have jointly about 25,000 
acres of waste land, some of which is entirely denuded and some 
covered only with the sand black-jack oak. In many parts of New 
Hanover county, es23ecially between Wilmington and Wrightsville, 
there is a very promising regrowth of long-leaf pine appearing, 
though the trees are very scattering and fires destroy a great many 
of the smaller ones every spring. The growth of timber in the 
eastern parts of New Hanover and Onslow counties, like that in 
the eastern part of Brunswick county, was probably ncA'er dense. 

Besides the above tracts there are in Johnston, Pender and Lenoir 
counties a few smaller tracts which have been stripped of the long- 
leaf pine and on which no valuable regrowth has appeared : and 
there is immediately along the coasts of Currituck, Dare and Car- 
teret counties a narrow strip of land vrhich in many places is entirely 
bare, and has been described by the late Prof. W. C. Kerr as form- 
ing drifting sand dunes, which, along the coast of Dare county, "are 
moving under the impact of the trade winds constant!}^ toward the 
south-west into the sound." What effect these moving dunes may 
have on the existino- channels in the sounds or how thev mav 
modify or change the inlets between the sounds and the ocean are 
questions foreign to the present subject. 

It is a well-known fact, however, that the breaking of the ocean, 
in 1763, through one of these untimbered sand banks formed the 
Neiv Inlet, 16 miles below Wilmington, N. C. , and seriously changed 
the channel at the mouth of the Cape Fear river, lessened the 
depth of its water and caused the expenditure of a large amount 
of money before the damage done could be rectified and the break 



THE OiJlCilN OF THE WA8TE LANDS. 



51 



securely filled. It could not be learnt whether this strip of sand 
dunes was ever timbered, though it is probal)le that at one time it 
was, since Smith's island and other parts of tliis same bank only 
a few miles distant are now heavily timbered. 

THE ORIGIN OF THE WASTE LANDS. 

From the preceding it appears that there is a large amount of 
waste land lying in the south-eastern part of this State. There 
are now over 400,000 acres of such land and the amount of it, 
from various causes, is constantly increasing. This land consists 
of high, rolling or hilly sand barrens, formerly covered with 
extensive forests of long-leaf pine. These forests yielded turpen- 
tine abundantly, but on account of the larger amount of sapwood 
and the coarser grain of the wood of trees growing on these poorer 
sandy lands the lumber, though of good C[uality, was of a grade 
inferior to that from trees grown on fertile soils. Now, however, 
owing to the grossest neglect, large portions of these forests have 
either been destroyed entirely or reduced to such a condition that 
there is neither mill nor turpentine timber on them, and no 
regrowth of the long-leaf pine has been allowed to take the place 
of the older trees as the latter were being gradually exterminated. 
The soils of the barrens on account of their sandiness and poor 
quality will produce very few kinds of trees which have any 
economic importance. Xo valuable broad-leaved trees (oaks, etc.) 
thrive on these lands, and among the conifers (pines, etc.) the long- 
leaf pine is the only one growing naturally on them. 

The short-leaf pine, except where the loam subsoil lies near the 
surface, is rarely found, and it is only after the ground has been 
cultivated and enriched and the moister layers of earth have been 
brought to the surface that the loblolly pine will grow there. So 
it seems that the long-leaf pine is the only native tree of much 
value which flourishes on these barren, sandy lands. . There are 
very few if any other forests in the eastern United States so pecu- 
liarly limited as to the variety of valuable tree growth as the long- 
leaf pine forests, particularly when it grows on the sand barrens; 
and there are no other forests which demand such care to obtain a 
regrowth of the original dominant species. 



52 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



Many kinds of trees after haviug been lumbered or burnt out 
are succeeded by smaller and less valued species, but the original 
growth in time again takes jDOSsession of the land. This is the 
case with the spruce forests of Western North Carolina and the 
white cedar (juniper) in the eastern section of the State. How- 
ever it may have been primarily in the long-leaf pine forests this 
is not the result under the present management of these pineries. 
After the removal of the pine the land quickly becomes waste land, 
and passes from a growth of sand black-jack to utter barrenness. 
Nowhere is there any general sign of either the long-leaf or any 
other pine again forming a prominent part of the growth on these 
sand-hills. 

Unless there is some radical change in their management these 
lands may even cease to produce the few sand black-jack oaks 
which now flourish on them. There is even a possibility, and in 
fact it can be said a great likelihood, that this valuable tree, the 
long-leaf pine, will become extinct in North Carolina unless some 
steps are taken to secure its more general propagation. It has 
already become extinct over large tracts lying to the north of the 
Neuse river which were formerly occupied either exclusively by 
this pine or by mixed forests of it and hardwoods and the loblolly 
pine. 

W'HY LONG-LEAF PINE FORESTS ARE NOT SELF-PROPAGATING. 

The causes which have operated to prevent the long-leaf pine 
h'om propagating itself are several, and all of them are important 
and act uniformly throughout this sandy area. A brief statement 
of some of the peculiarities of this tree may enable us to see more 
clearly why it needs more special protection than must necessarily 
be accorded other trees to enable the forests to reproduce them- 
selves. The chief causes which have influenced and tended to 
retard the general regrowth of this tree at the present time arise 
from a highly specialized form of seed and plant structure and a 
decidedly unique manner of growth when compared with the other 
pines of this same region. These characteristic peculiarities lie 
chiefly in the young pine seedling, in the seed, and in the struc- 
ture of the leaf buds. 



THE SEEDING OF THE LON(i-LEAF PINE. 



53 



THE SEEDING OF THE LONG-LEAF PINE. 

Although the writer has not yet carried on systematic observa- 
tions, on (1) the frequency of seeding of the long-leaf pine, (2) the 
relative abundance of its seed as compared with those of other 
pines, and (3) the relative fertility of boxed and unboxed trees of 
the same species, long enough to have obtained accurate results, 
yet the observations of different persons, thoroughly familiar, for 
many years, with the pines of the barrens, will, he thinks, for most 
of these cases, be found sufficiently accurate, their results being 
supplemented by his conclusions drawn from a personal investi- 
gation extending over several years. Although there were certain 
years in the primeval or virgin long-leaf pine forest, just as there 
are with all other trees, when no seed were borne, yet these years 
were rare and the yield of seed was usually abundant. William 
Byrd, writing in 1728, says"^ the jnast of this tree (the long-leaf pine) 
is very much esteemed for fattening hogs, through all of Albemarle 
county (North-eastern North Carolina) on account of its greater 
abundance and the greater certainty of its occurrence (than that of 
the oaks). The forests of which he was speaking w^ere largely 
virgin at that date. There are to be found frequent statements 
mentioning the same fact by other historians, of both an earlier 
and later date. 

So far as could be ascertained the masts (as the seed of this pine 
are called) have not been as abundant for the past fifty years as 
they formerly were. There seems to have been only three large 
long-leaf pine masts since 1845. One of these occurred just about 
that time, the next one was in 1872 and there was one in 1892, 
which was not so large, however, as either of the preceding. 
There is a fairly abundant mast about every four or five years, and 
on intermediate years the production is small and localized. In 
North Carolina most of the trees which now bear seed are boxed 
and have been in this condition for from ten to fifty years. And the 
opinion prevails throughout the pine barrens that pine masts are 
less frequent and less abundant now than before the pines were so 
largely boxed and thinned out. The removal of a great portion of 



*Histor3- of the Dividing Line between Virginia and North Carolina, p. 29. 



54 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



the trees may explain, in part or wholl}^ why masts are less abun- 
dant. It would naturally be inferred that there would be a large 
decrease in the productiveness of boxed trees, whose vitality, 
measured by the rate of accretion between them and unboxed 
trees, has been greatly impaired by the practiced manner of box- 
ing. However, from a tabulated record of observations carried on 
during several years there as yet appears no marked difference 
between the productiveness of boxed and unboxed trees, similarly 
situated. 

There are several important differences between the reproduc- 
tive capacities of the loblolly and long-leaf pines, all of them to 
the advantage of the former. The fertility of the long-leaf pine 
is much less than that of the loblolly pine, its most frequent asso- 
ciate. The loblolly pine bears cones at an earlier age, and usually 
produces more seed, both perfect and imperfect ones, and the great 
variety of soil on which the loblolly pines grow causes a slight 
difference in the time of flowering of different trees, making this 
pine less liable to have the entire prospect of a seed yield destroyed 
by frosts, or by heavy rains during pollination. While this may 
possibly explain why the loblolly pine has come up as a regrowth 
over so much of the moister loam land it has affected the growth 
of the pine barrens very little. 

The seed of the long-leaf pine are very large, one-third to one- 
half an inch long, independent of the wing, while no other pine of 
this region has seed over one-fourth an inch long. But there is a 
much smaller proportion of abortive and otherwise imperfect seed 
in a long-leaf pine cone than in the cone of the loblolly pine. 
This would be decidedly to the advantage of the long-leaf pine in 
seeding old fields, etc., were its seed not too heavy to be carried far 
by the wind. They usually fall within fifty feet of the parent tree, 
while the light-winged seed of the loblolly have been known to' 
scatter thickly over fields from trees more than a quarter of a mile 
distant; and single seed are reported to have been blown several 
miles. And furthermore, as described more fully beyond, the seed 
of the long-leaf pine are much more extensively destroyed by 
hogs, fowls, squirrels, rats, etc. 

Another reason for the exclusively loblolly growth in fields may 



DESTRUCTION OF THE YOUNG PLANTS. 



55 



be that eveu when the seed of the two pines fall on the same land 
the loblolly pine by its rapid growth during the first few years 
overshadows and efFectuall}^ crowds out the more slowly growing 
long-leaf pine, and the latter during this early slow growth are 
easily destroyed by fires and by live slock. The two are, however, 
rarely seen associated together in second growth woods. The seed 
ripening in October fall to the ground rapidly and if there is a 
warm moist season sprout immediately. In the event of a long 
warm rain just after the seed are matured -they will frequently 
sprout in the cones and the entire yield will be thus destroyed. 

DESTRUCTION OF THE YOUNG PLANTS. 

The young long-leaf pine seems to be especially adapted by the 
form of its root system for growing on a sandy soil. By the end 
of its first year's growth its root system, which has grown rapidly, 
consists of a large tap-root which extends 6 to 10 inches deep in the 
sand, and from the bottom of it branches out the smaller roots 
which draw nourishment from the soil. It is this deep-seated 
root system sent thus early lar down into the soil wdiich enables 
this pine to grow on the sand barrens, and it is doubtless because 
the roots of the loblolly are small and divide for the first year or 
two into a great many small divisions, lying near the surface, that 
it does not get sufficient moisture and nourishment from the dry 
surface sand to enable it to thrive on the sand barrens before this 
land has been cultivated. This long tap-root of the long-leaf pine 
frequently goes through the sand into the loam soil and secures 
for the tree a firm anchorage against storms and enables it to draw 
its nourishment from a more fertile soil. 

The stem parts of the long-leaf pine are as peculiarly adapted 
for growing on a sand soil as the root system is. Instead of the 
stem's branching or growing the first year it only puts out a great 
number of very long thick leaves, exceedingly close to the ground. 
These leaves soon spread out and help to shade the ground close 
to the plant and keep it moist. At the end of the first season's 
growth the single (terminal) bud is not over an inch and a half 
above the earth and the bud itself is nearly an inch long, so that 
it can be said that the stem of the seedling does not grow any in 



56 FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 

height during the first year, all the energy of the plant being 
diverted to increasing the root and producing the great tuft of long 
deep green leaves which spread out immediately below the bud and 
make the plant resemble more a tuft of some marvelous kind of 
grass than a young tree. Some of the lowest leaves usually die 
during the first year; most of them remain on, however, for two 
seasons. 

During the second and third years the growth of the stem in 
height is slight, though it increases in thickness, but after that, at 
least in a forest, its growth is wonderful. Frequently in a thick 
wood where a young tree has been allowed to grow, in 8 or 9 years 
after height-growth has begun, it will have reached a height of 18 
or 20 feet and a diameter of no more than 3 or 4 inches, and will 
have grown each year from only one bud, the terminal bud, at the 
end of the woody axis, there being no branches, and no sign of 
any having been formed. For leaves there will be only a single, 
broom-like bunch terminating the slender stem. The rapidity with 
which this stem is raised and the fewness of its branches until the 
natural height of the tree is reached makes one of the fine quali- 
ties of the timber. It gives long stocks which have no knots in 
them, even small ones, to produce any ununiformity of quality, or 
to make weak places on the interior of an apparently perfect piece 
of timber. 

This feature which is the cause of so fine a quality of wood is a 
great drawback to the development of the young trees. This single 
terminal bud is a very large and complicated structure, and when 
once destroyed in any way no other bud is usually formed by which 
the growth of the young seedling can be continued. It is true of 
most conifers (i. e., pines, firs, cypress and cedars) that they do not 
readily form buds and that they rarely sprout from the stump and 
are very difficult to reproduce from cuttings, etc., but with the long- 
leaf pine such buds are formed and sprouts developed even more 
rarely than with most other conifers. 

THE ENEMIES OF THE I^ONG-IvEAF PINE. 

The long-leaf pine has a severer struggle for existence than any 
other of our forest trees for the reason that in all stages of its 



DESTRUCTIVE WORK P>Y HOGS AND FIRES. 



57 



reproduction and growth it is more severely and continuously 
attacked by a greater variety of enemies than any other. Besides 
the natural drawbacks to its development from the peculiar man- 
ner of forming several of its parts, and the fact that these parts 
w^ien destroyed are not replaced, its large and sweet seed are eaten 
in large quantities by foivl of various kinds, rats, squirrels, and 
by swine, which prefer them to all other kinds of mast and, when 
there is enough long-leaf pine mast, become very fat on it. 

As far as has been observed, young long-leaf pines are attacked 
by no injurious beetles or bark-borers or by any fungi sufficiently 
to injure them. The mature pines, however, have in past years 
several times been attacked by bark beetles in such numbers as to 
destroy the pine over large areas. A few trees which have been 
killed from their attacks can be seen at any time around the edges ♦ 
of districts where lumbering is in progress, or about districts which 
have been recently lumbered. 

DESTRUCTIVE WORK BY HOGS AND FIRES. 

If the destruction by swine ceased with eating mast there would 
still be sufficient seed left to reproduce some parts of the forests, 
as the mature trees are gradually thinned out, for one-year-old 
seedlings are common twelve months after a heavy mast. No 
sooner, however, has the young pine gotten a foot high and its root an 
inch in diameter than the hog attacks it, this time eating the roots, 
which, until two inches in diameter, are very tender, juicy, pleas- 
antly flavored and free of resinous matter. In the loose sandy 
soil the piney woods hog, or "i^ooter," finds little difficulty in fol- 
lowing and devouring these tender roots to their smallest ends. 
Many small trees are destroyed in this w^ay. And cattle, further- 
more, are said to bite off frequently the tops of the small plants, 
and w^ith them the terminal buds, in the early spring. This is 
doubtless done while grazing, more accidentally than otherwise. 

Fires often destroy all the young pines that escape the hogs. 
They kill the small pines by burning the highly inflammable 
bracts around thfe bud and so stop its growth, or in high grass fre- 
quently burn all the leaves. Larger trees, even until they are 3 
or 4 inches through, are easily killed in spring, when the sap is 
4 



58 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS, 



rising and the outer layer of wood is growing rapidly, by a hot 
fire which will burn the thin exfoliated layers of bark all over the 
trunk. The loblolly pine is less injured by fire because its bark 
is thicker and so offers more protection to the growing wood ; the 
bark, too, lying closer to the wood in firmly appressed layers, does 
not so easily take fire. (See, also, the discussion on page 61). 

The chief agencies, then, which prevent a regrowth of the long- 
leaf pine on the high sandy lands are the hogs and the fires ; and 
the attacks of the hogs are directed against parts which seem to 
have been developed to meet requirements of a plant growing on 
a dry, barren soil of loose sand. These peculiarly developed parts 
are the seed, large for a pine, which contam abundant nutriment 
for the young plant to enable the root to push itself rapidly into 
the sand ; and the long, succulent root which grows for a consid- 
erable distance straight down without branching. Since the first 
settlement of these sandy lands the "ranging" of swine has been 
allowed in the barrens, and while there were enough pines stand- 
ing and frequent masts, they fed a large number of hogs. 

The practice of firing the barrens has been adopted in many 
cases with a view to improving the pasturage; while in many other 
cases, after the trees were boxed, the leaves and trash pulled away 
from around them, the forests were burned over to prevent in a 
dry season a chance conflagration getting from under control and 
burning the faces of the turpentine boxes and the timber. That 
this policy of burning the barrens is a very bad one and calcu- 
lated to do far greater damage than that immediately apparent has 
perhaps been made evident. The accompanying illustration 
(Plate I) shows one of these long-leaf pine forests, near Southern 
Pines, where a recent fire destroyed all of the young growth, the 
turpentine boxes and most of the timber trees. 

That sooner or later the present management, or lack of man- 
agement, which has characterized all dealings with the barrens for 
the past 150 years must be changed if the long-leaf pine forests 
are to be made self-propagating, no one who has ever seen their 
condition or fully realizes what it is can possibly doubt. The 
logical result of these burnings in the past has been the destruction 
of millions of feet of standing pine and the prevention of the growth 
of young trees, w^hich, had they started even fifty years ago would 



THE ULTIMATE UTILITY OF THESE WASTE LANDS. 



59 



now be large enough- for small mill timber and for turpentine; 
while the burnings of the present and future, if not soon discoi> 
tinned, will mean the final extinction of the long-leaf pine in this 
State. 

THE ULTIMATE UTILITY OF THESE WASTE LANDS. 

It has been practically demonstrated, in the vicinity of South- 
ern Pines and elsewhere, that, after having been richly fertilized, 
considerable portions of these sandy pine-barren lands, containing 
a small portion of loam and organic matter mixed with the sand, are 
adapted, by their southern situation and light, friable soil, to a high 
state of productiveness in fruits and vegetables ; and these branches of 
agriculture are rapidly increasing in North Carolina. They appear 
to be more especially suited for vinticulture and gardening. It is 
probable, however, that large portions of these waste lands will not 
be brought into cultivation during the next fifty years, nor at any 
time, owdng to the extreme poverty of the soil. What then is to be 
done with this 400,000 acres, once covered with long-leaf pine, 
but now of little more value than a similar area of a genuine 
desert? If the present lack of policy in regard to their manage- 
ment is continued, it is only a matter of a few years before the long- 
leaf pine which is now standing on the sand-hills will also have 
been destroyed without giving profitable returns to its owners or 
leaving behind it a young growth of pine to take its place. It 
becomes manifest at once that if the scattering trees, which might 
serve as seed trees, are entirely removed from this waste land, it 
will not only be a very difficult but a very costl}^ matter to secure 
a regrow^th of long-leaf pine or any other valuable building tree, 
either pine or hardwood. 

No matter what is the ultimate use to which the land may be 
put there must necessarily be, on a considerable part of it, trees 
which grow large enough to furnish timber and fuel more abun- 
dantly than the black-jack oak can do. A pine alone can supply 
such wants when there is only an impoverished soil to grow^ on, arid 
the long-leaf pine can do this better than any other pine. 

No community, least of all one devoted to agriculture, no mat- 
ter whether it raises cotton, garden truck or fruit, can be inde- 
pendent while at the same time it is dependent on some other sec- 



(30 



FORESTS,- FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



tion for either fuel or building material. This, however, is what 
some sections of eastern North Carolina are fast coming to, and 
the fact is being recognized by not a few of their most thoughtful 
residents. 

That the existence of a highly developed agriculture is some- 
times entirely dependent on a forest is shown by the condition of 
the lands between Bordeaux and the coast of France along the 
bay of Biscay. This district is the seat of the manufacture of the 
Bordelais wines, clarets and other light wines, and some of the 
finest wines are made in vineyards east of the Medoc from vines 
grown on a highly sandy soil. A great part of this land is cov- 
ered with forests of pines, which were set out, at great expense, to 
prevent the shifting of these sandy soils. Before the planting of 
the forests these lands were sand dunes, or heather lands which 
formed dunes of moving sand as rapidly as the low, scattered heath 
growth was removed. 

In view of the facts stated in the preceding pages w^e are driven 
to the conclusion that the most practicable plan of treatment of 
these waste lands, with a view of making them again productive 
of wealth to their owners, is that of protecting these areas against 
the attacks of hogs and forest fires and thus permitting them to be 
again covered with a new growth of long-leaf pine. 

COST OF SECURING A NEW FOREST GROWTH. 

The cost of securing a regrowth of long-leaf pine on most of 
this waste land would now be very little in addition to what the 
land-owners must necessarily pay to retain their land which has 
ceased to be productive or give any returns. Interest on the 
capital invested in the land probably has to be paid and taxes 
must be paid yearW. The additional cost would be solely that 
arising from protecting the land from fire and from excluding cat- 
tle and swine for a certain number of years after a mast. 

The opposition such a measure would produce would be consid- 
erable, especially among a class of indigent citizens who, owning 
little or no land themselves, have always been accustomed to give 
their cattle free range over the lands of others, to fire the dead 
grass for bettering the pasturage, and even to cut timber for home 



PROTECTION OF YOUNG PINES AGAINST FIRES AND HOGS. 61 



use on these lands ad libitum. It is the opposition of these people, 
who constitute so large a part of the voters, that has prevented in 
several of these eastern counties the adoption of a general law for 
confining cattle and stock. As timber for fencing material and 
other purposes becomes scarcer, the more intelligent citizens are 
coming to see clearly enough the imperative need of such a change, 
both in our laws and in public opinion, as will suffice to protect 
the young forest growth 'from fires and stock, and thus to give the 
valuable forest trees an opportunity to propagate themselves. 

NECESSARY PROTECTION OF YOUNG PINES AGAINST FIRES AND HOGS. 

Without a thorough cessation of fires and an equally thorough 
exclusion of stoQk, at least until the trees are thickly started and 
well grown, say until 10 feet high, any effort to produce a uniform 
growth would be futile. Once that a new growth has secured 
a firm foothold and has formed a dense covering, the very thick- 
ness of it, by its exclusion of most low growth and grass, will be 
preventive of fires, since the thin covering of pine straw and 
humus will not carry fire except in very dry seasons or before a 
heavy wind. The exclusion of swine is a measure which must be 
absolutely enforced until the trees have reached a diameter of 
3 or 4 inches. (See, also, page 57). 

The following statements will show what an important part fires 
play in the destruction of pine seedlings: 

In the fall of 1892 there was a very full long-leaf pine mast, 
and in the following spring seedlings could be seen by thousands. 
In moderately dense long-leaf pine forests in Montgomery county, 
where there was about one-half as many of those pines standing 
as when it was in a virgin state, these pines being mixed with a 
few post and black-jack oaks and the rest of the land open, -there 
w^ere from 15 seedlings to the square yard in the open to 35 seed- 
lings on an equal area beneath some of the trees. A space which 
was staked off' and noted was examined again in the fall after a 
fire had passed over it and then it did not average one seedling to 
the square yard.' The soil here w^as a salmon-colored loam and 
the grass largely broom-straw (Andropogon Virginicus). 

Another tract, which was on the sand-hills of the western section 



62 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS y^ND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



of Cumberland county, was examined shortly after it had been 
lumbered. This was not seen in the spring, but when visited in 
the fall sliowed by the great number and position of the cones that 
seed must have fallen abundantly over most of the ground which 
had since been burnt over. It was hard to find, however, a seed- 
ling which had escaped the flames. 

Another place examined was in Bladen county, on a sandy loam 
soil. There were in the spring of 1893 uumerous seedling pines 
there. A later examination in the fall showed a large number 
still growing, but no fire had passed over them and the roots were 
not yet large enough for the hogs to root up. A small portion of 
this last tract has been fenced off and the progress of the seedlings 
in the enclosure, and those outside, will be compared and the 
requirements and peculiarities of the young plants studied as they 
develop. 

If it had been possible, immediately after the falling of this 
mast of 1892, to put the long-leaf pine lands, or at least those 
parts which are most sandy, and have only a thin cover of pines, 
or the large areas recently lumbered, under some management 
which would have given protection to the seed and later to the 
young pines, in ten years with continued protection there would 
have been over the larger part of this area a thicket of pines large 
enough to have been self-protecting in a great measure, and in a 
fair way to become trees suitable for lumber and for yielding sup- 
plies of turpentine. 

At the date of this writing it is a safe statement to make that 
there have been already destroyed over nine-tenths of the pines 
which sprung up so abundantly less than two years ago. The 
time which will elapse before another large mast is of course 
uncertain. Smaller masts should occur, however, in three or four 
years. Last ^^ear (1893) there was none. An examination of the 
pines shows that there will be very little this fall. The freeze in 
April of this year (1894) destroyed the pollen of the trees along 
the western part of the pine belt, but as they have not been exam- 
ined further east it is uncertain whether it was destroyed there also. 

There will consequently be little pine mast in 1895, at least in 



FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE WASTE-LAND REGIONS. 



63 



the western parts of the long-leaf pine belt, as it requires two sea- 
sons for growth and maturity after pollination has taken place. 

FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE WASTE-LAND REGIONS. 

Just here, in connection with the discussion as to what pol.icy 
should be adopted in regard to the treatment of the pine barrens, 
a brief statement of what forestry is and what it necessarily is not, 
will not be out of place. The two conceptions as to what forestry 
is are in part equally erroneous. One of these is that forest man- 
agement consists in protecting trees with no definite end in view 
beyond that of protection. The other conception contains a half 
truth. It is that forest management consists in the production of 
trees and the systematic management of tim'bered lands, but that 
the State or government's ownership of such timbered lands is 
essential for putting this into practice. This latter view of the 
matter is fairly correct except tliat ownership or management by. 
the State or government is by no means an essential feature. In 
a country such as ours timber lands must be managed by their 
owners or not at all. 

From the point of view of a money-yielding investment, and 
this is the chief view that need be considered in dealing with most 
of the lands of eastern North Carolina, the following might stand 
for a definition of forestry: Forestry consists in the s^^stematic 
care of forests so that the land will always yield valuable forest 
trees and so that production of timber may be carried to its highest 
possible limits. This growth of course is to be utilized, but in 
such a manner that a young growth of equal value to the one removed 
may take its place. Such management is not only not inconsistent 
with private ownership of land, but if properly carried out by pri- 
vate parties can be made more efficacious, at least as far as finan- 
cial results are concerned, than when carried on by a government 
or State. 

It is true that in some European countries much of the forest is 
owned by the various governments, municipalities, etc., but much 
of this land was owned by the respective governments for many 
years before any forest management was practiced. Their owner- 



64 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



ship by the governments was not at all necessary for the practice 
of forestry in these countries, and there is more forest land under 
systematic management in Europe owned by private parties than 
by the governments. 

In some of the private forests, as those of the Tyrol, cuttings 
are. restricted and are superintended by trained government for- 
esters, because from the situation of the lands in hilly or mountain- 
ous districts the sudden removal of all timber from over a large 
area might cause the land to wash, so that reforestation could only 
be accomplished under serious difficulties. The clearing of large 
areas and their remaining in a state of denudation causes in hilly 
countries, where the soil washes easily, great floods in the rivers 
which are filled with detritus washed down from the hills. Such 
Hoods endanger the life and property along the streams, while the 
deposit of the soil washed down seriously affects arable lands and 
the channels of the streams. The control of such lands as these 
is not undertaken by the governments with a view of influencing 
in any way the owners' profit, but as a measure to protect other 
citizens whose interests might be much affected by any carelessness 
or greed of a timber owner. 

In Germany, which country probably leads the world in the 
thoroughness of its forest management, there are about 43,000 
square miles of forest.* The government owns about 13,300 
square miles of it, various local organizations, towns and small 
principalities own 6,700 square miles, while the rest, about 21,700 
square miles, belongs to individuals, and its management is entirely 
free from all governmental interference, except so far as the cut- 
ting of one person's timber will damage lands or property belong- 
ing to another, in which case an injunction to prevent cutting can 
be obtained from the courts. 

THE NECESSITY FOR FORESTS IN THE FUTURE. 

The question is asked. Will there be any use, fifty years from 
now, for a forest grown on this waste land when so large a part of 
the State and country will be timbered by a second growth of pines 



*Paul Pary's Yahrbuch, 1890. I^andwirtschaftliche Statistik, 1889. 



THE NECESSITY FOR FORESTS IN THE FUTURE. 



65 



and hardwoods which have naturally sprung up? Moreover, it 
may be thought that in that length of time a large part of the 
original forest growth will still remain uncut. 

An examination of the facts in the case will yield an answer. 
Ten years ago it was thought that the supply of white pine was 
inexhaustible in Michigan, which State then had far the largest 
bodies of pine, and in fact nearly all the merchantable white pine 
in the United States except that in Wisconsin, Minnesota and some 
in West Virginia. Bulletin No. 5 of the Eleventh U. S. Census 
showed that in 1890 Michigan had an output of white pine of 
about 10,000,000,000 feet, board measure (including shingles), and 
that there was supposed to be only enough timber standing to last 
the mills for five years longer. Many persons even then ridiculed 
the idea of the exhaustion of the white pine. A few^ months ago 
the Northwestern Lumberman, which had most loudly proclaimed 
that the white pine was inexhaustible, announced that this season 
there would be in one district a shortage amounting to many 
million feet, and that the total shortage in Michigan alone would 
probably amount to over a billion feet, board measure. Other soft 
w^oods, yellow^ poplar, etc., will probably be sawn to take its place 
for several years, and will come from Kentucky, Tennessee, North 
Carolina and other regions in the Appalachian mountains. 

In ten years from now^ the forests of Michigan wnll have been a 
thing of the past, so that within fifty years after lumbering began 
on a commercial scale the white pine and probably the best hard- 
woods w^ill have been cut out. These forests of Michigan cut from 
two to three times as much mixed hardwood and pine to the acre 
as the pine lands of eastern North Carolina will now yield, after 
having been picked over for two hundred years. 

The forests of Washington are as yet in a nearly virgin condition 
and are probably the finest in the world. They will cut three 
times as much to the acre as the pine lands of eastern North Caro- 
lina, and although the amount of standing timber was estimated 
on January 1, 1894, to be near 400,000,000,000 feet, board measure, 
yet such is the' enormous destruction of timber by fire and the 
rapid increase in the milling industry, which now-cuts only 1,000,- 
000,000 feet a year in that State, that those forests will probably 
not last longer than fifty years. 



66 FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



The forests of all the Northern kStates have been cut over and 
the most valuable timber removed. Maine, Vermont, western 
Penns3dvania and West Virginia still manufacture, however, large 
quantities of hardwoods, but the supply of them is so rapidly being 
reduced that in a few years the annual output will be reduced to 
the growth in the forests during a year. 

The condition of the timbered lands is about the same in all the 
Southern States. The pine in the lower districts has in places been 
entirely removed, but in other places there is still much left, w^hile 
the hardwood on the uplands has for a century been called upon 
to supply local needs and in most places has had the finest timber 
culled, except toward the mountains of the south-eastern States 
where there are magnificent virgin forests of hardwoods. These 
forests of the South are the ones to which the lumbermen of the 
North are looking as the supply of timber near the seats of con- 
sumption becomes exhausted, and once that the tide of millmen 
turns this way the depletion of the forests of this State and those 
farther south will he a matter of only a few years. 

Bulletin No. 5 of the Eleventh U. S. Census gives the amount 
of yellow pine and cypress land owned in nine Southern States 
by establishments located only in Michigan and Wisconsin to be 
1,407,358 acres, estimated to have standing on them a total prod- 
uct of eleven billion feet, board measure, of merchantable timber, 
valued at |8, 723,000. The timber on this land is cypress and 
hard pines — i. e., long-leaf, loblolly, and short-leaf pines, and this 
large amount invested shows that Michigan millmen, already 
foreseeing the exhaustion of the northern forests, are investing ill 
those timbers which are suitable to take the place of the white pine. 
Even at the present rate of removal, and allowing that there is no 
decrease in the business from the free entrance into the United 
States of Canadian lumber, the standing pine in the eastern part 
of North Carolina cannot last twent}^ years, and may not last more 
than fifteen years, unless a wise policy obtains. The indications 
are, however, that there will be in the next five years a much 
greater expansion of the milling industry in eastern North Caro- 
lina than has taken place during the past five 3^ears and a pro- 



WILL A REGROWTH OF PINES ON WASTE LANDS PAY? ()7 

portionally greater increase in the annual output of lumber, and 
'decrease in the available supply of standing timber. 

WILL A REGROWTH OF PINES ON THESE W^ASTE LANDS PAY? 

This question has been asked ; and it is the first point to be con- 
sidered in connection with any attempt to restock these waste 
lands with long-leaf pine. And in answering this question we 
may ask another: Will it pay to let these lands lie idle and 
unproductive? The cost of securing a growth of pines on these 
lands will be the cost of keeping off the hogs and fires, and this will 
be but little if any more than what proprietors have to pay at 
present for the privilege of holding these unproductive tracts. If 
it pays to own these lands unoccupied and unproductive, it will 
pay much better to own them if they are restocked, at a slight 
cost, with long-leaf pines. 

One of the chief considerations upon which the final value of a 
regrowth of long-leaf pine depends is the securing, in as short a time 
as possible, a thick, homogeneous growth of young trees, and the 
entire prevention of all fires among the pines. Nowhere else is the 
truth of the strength of unity more exemplified than in a forest 
growth, especially in a young and growing forest, on an arid and im- 
poverished soil, where one of the necessities is retaining the moist- 
ure in the earth and preserving the humus formed by the decay of 
leaves. This moisture will serve to supply the trees with water essen- 
tial for their development and tend to .check or even prevent fires. 
The damage fires do to a forest growth, even after the growth is well 
started, is considerable and has much influence on the character 
of the timber. By killing a part of the timber they make the 
growth open and the stocks short-bodied and filled with limbs 
and resulting knots. The thicker the growth the taller and 
straighter will the stocks be, and so much greater and more valu- 
able will be the final yield of timber. 

RATE OF GROWTH OF I^ONG-LEAF PINES. 

After a large number of measurements of young growth trees, 
which have sprung up in enclosures, or where protected, it has 



68 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



been ascertaiued that it will require from thirty-five to fifty years 
for such a growth to reach sufficient size to furnish saw logs 20 feet 
long and from 14 to 20 inches in diameter. The usefulness of 
these trees will have begun, however, in less than half of that 
time, since their increase in size is much more rapid during the 
earlier years of growth than during the later years. After twenty- 
five years they will be hirge enough to hold a turpentine box. 
About this age, too, they begin to bear mast, and as the foliage 
becomes more open the more tender grasses of the barrens appear 
and afford pasturage. Besides this there is a great quantity of 
litter which yearly accumulates under the trees and can be used, 
as such litter now is, when it can be gotten, as a mulch for agri- 
cultural lands. Moreover, the lands themselves .will have gained 
a permanent improvement from the mould which will have accu- 
mulated on the ground during the time that the trees were 
growing. 

FUTURE value; of turpentine orchards. 

What may be the value of turpentine orchards twenty years hence 
is of course a speculative question. AVith the great variety of 
uses to which both rosin and turpentine are put it is hardly likely 
that in that time any cheaper substitute will be found for them in 
all their uses.* The area of long-leaf pine which will be under 
orchard at that date is also largely a matter of coujecture. The 
observations of the writer and of several specialists who have 
examined all or parts of the territory covered by the long-leaf 
pine, would lead to the conclusion that, without some radical 
change in the manner of boxing, and the reservation by timber 
owners of large tracts of pine for turpentine culture only, the 
orchards of the United States, with the possible exception of 

*USES OF Resinous Products. — lu a report upon the maritime pines made in 187S by M. Des- 
noyers at the Universal Exposition of Paris the following uses are given for the different resinous 
products of that tree: 

Spirits of turpentine is used in the manufacture of oil colofs, varnishes and paints, in the prepa- 
ration of rubber, is emploj^ed in medicine and veterinary arts, and for cleaning and illviminating 
and making water-proof putties and cements. 

Rosin is used in sizing paper, in soap-making, in the manufacture of sealing-wax, for soldering 
lead and in tinning, and from it is obtained by destructive distillation rosin oil which is used in 
making lubricants, printing and lithographic inks, paints, etc.. and painting beer-kegs 
Crude turpentine scrape and pitch are also used in many of these manufactures. 



FUTURE VALUE OF LONG-LEAF PINE FORESTS. 



69 



those of Texas, will have seen their best days in less than twenty 
3^€ars. 

The Report of the U. S. Division of Forestry for 1891 describes 
the pine lands of eastern Texas and western Louisiana as follows:* 
In the center of the region above the Red river, pine ridges alter- 
nate with tracts of oak and hickory. Toward the Red river the 
forests covering the undulating pine lands remain practically 
unbroken to the Sabine river. On the east side of the Red river 
the area is estimated at 1,625,000 acres, exteiiding northward an 
average distance of fifty-five miles, cutting from 4,000 to 6,000 feet 
to the acre, with no change in character to Trinity river in Texas. 
In that State the forests of long-leaf pine cover about 5,000 square 
miles, merging toward the north into the region of short-leaf, 
toward the south into vast forests of loblolly pine. The fact that 
but little tapping for turpentine has been practiced in this region 
may be of importance from a market point of view. 

Forests suitable for the manufacture of turpentine, being sub- 
ject to a triple destruction, will probably give out some time before 
those suitable for lumber will. Turpentine orchards of long-leaf 
pine are destroyed by being lumbered, by natural exhaustion from 
continued tapping and by fires ; and their trunks being weakened 
by boxes the trees are more liable to blow over by the winds. 
They are renewed only to an inconsiderable extent by regrowth. 
The rate of destruction by each of these agencies has been yearlj- 
increasing, and has not yet reached its maximum limit. 

FUTURE VALUE OF LONG-LEAF PINE FORESTS. 

The future value of a forest of long-leaf pine as a source of lum- 
ber is based on these facts. Long-leaf pine wood, even after it has 
been tapped for turpentine, which has no effect on any of the heart 
wood except to a slight extent those parts immediately in contact 
with the faces of the boxes, is much stronger than any other of our 
pines; and it is especially durable in contact with the soil or when 
exposed to alternating conditions of being wet or dry. As these 
qualities of the timber become recognized the}' will much increase 



*Annual Report Secretary of Agriculture, 1891, p. 216. 



70 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



the value and use of the wood for purposes where such qualities are 
requisite. The rapid thinning of the woodlands of the eastern 
United States will cause an increase each year in the value of all 
timber near centers of consumption ; and there is a constant increase 
in the value of stumpage as the utilization of the forests proceeds. 
When once the mass of standing woody material, the uninterrupted 
accumulations of centuries, is destroyed, the entire country will 
each year be dependent for w^ood on what may be called the annual 
increase in the forests. 

The lands of the greater part of the northeastern States are 
already in this condition, and those of the southern States, with 
the exception of the hardwood forests of the Appalachian mount- 
ains, are fast being reduced to a similar condition. This second 
growth forest is producing very largely nonvaluable woods, having 
been produced by the seed of inferior species left in lumbering as 
worthless, and only such of these survive as can naturally with- 
stand the repeated burnings to which the woodlands are subjected. 
Moreover, most of this second growth is very open and thin, caused 
by fires and other agencies, and the trees from the same causes are 
often defective. A large part of the land which should be timber 
land is unproductive waste land, with absolutely no arborescent 
growth, and the continued violation of all natural laws concerning 
plant-life prevents the development of such a growth. The 
demand for wood is yearly increasing and each year the power of 
the woodlands to supply it is diminishing. 

An abundant supply of wood and timber must be an impor- 
tant factor in the future development of eastern, and particularly 
south-eastern North Carolina, whether that development be an 
agricultural or manufacturing advancement; but unless there is a 
more strict observance of the fundamental laws of all plant-life, 
particularly in respect to the long-leaf pine on the high sandy 
land, preventing the destruction of the seed and young pines, this 
section will be in great want of timber at the time when it will 
need its timber most. 

AREA OF WASTE I,AND INCREASING. 

In conclusion, it can be said that there are now 400,000 acres of 
waste sandy land in Eastern North Carolina, and that this area is 



IMPORTANCE OF EARLY ACTIOX. 



71 



constantly increasing. This land is covered only with a low, 
scrubby growth of sand black-jack oaks and in places has mixed 
with these oaks scattered long-leaf pines, unfit for lumber and 
exhausted of turpentine by the continued tapping. Malpractice, 
especially the custom of firing the barrens and allowing stock full 
range on them, has never given the long-leaf pine an opportunity 
to reproduce itself except over very limited areas, and where pro- 
tected. From this cause this pine, which will always have the 
highest value, both for its timber and the abundant resin which it 
contains, is in danger of becoming extinct in North Carolina, and 
indeed in all the States where it now grows, at least as far as its 
commercial importance is concerned. 

IMPORTANCE OF EARI^Y ACTION. 

If the long-leaf pine which is still standing is allowed to seed 
these lands, and the seed and young pines protected from destruc- 
tion, a regrowth can be obtained with comparative ease, but if the 
long-leaf pines now standing are once destroyed, the securing on 
these waste lands of a growth of trees which will be of economic 
importance will be both a difficult and costly undertaking, since 
this pine is the only tree of value in the arts which naturally 
grows on these barren lands. It will cost very little more to secure 
a regrowth than it does to retain the lands in their present impover- 
ished and unproductive state, since taxes and frequently the inter- 
est on the original investment must be paid. 

The adoption of some general law for these districts, requiring 
stock, especially swine, to be confined, would be of great help in 
securing a regrowth, but it would be imperative, at the same time, 
to prevent any fire from passing through the barrens, since one 
fire can kill in a few hours a growth of pines several years old. 
The final value of the growth would depend, too, on fires being kept 
out even wdien most of the trees were large enough to be unin- 
jured by burning. By the time such a growth reached maturity 
or became large enough to furnish timber, all the original forests 
will have been cut over and the usually thin and scattering 
regrowth will be called upon to furnish not only most of the fuel, 
but all lumber and timber required in building and manufacturing. 



72 



FORESTS, FOE EST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



So great is the annihilation of the primitive forests and so rap- 
idly does the demand for lumber increase from year to year that it 
is doubtful if the entire forests of the Southern States can last 
longer than two or three decades. The same is true of the pine 
forests which can be used for turpentine production. The ruin of 
these forests will cause a marked rise in the value of all forest 
products, so that a certain and a higher-priced '^market can be 
assured for all future forest material. 



CHAPTER III. 



THE NAVAL STORE INDUSTRY IN NORTH CAROLINA. 

HISTORICAL SKETCH. 

In Colonial Times. — As early as 1700 the production of naval 
stores was an industry of some importance in the Colony of Caro- 
lina. At the same time the industry was carried on in the adja- 
cent parts of A^irginia. In A'^irginia the products were largely 
derived from the loblolly pine, while in North Carolina they came 
chiefly from the long-leaf pine. The products exported from the 
colony at that date were tar and pitch and some crude turpentine; 
but the quantity of the latter shipped was small. Tar kilns were 
made then as now and the process of burning was the same. 
Indeed, the process is very much the same as that described by 
Theophrastus as being used by the ancient Greeks. 

The tar manufactured in the Southern States was more com- 
monly converted into j9i7c/i before being shipped, by the addition of 
some crude turpentine and the mixture then being boiled down to 
the right consistency. From north-eastern North Carolina it was 
shipped by way of Norfolk, A^a., to England, the laws of England 
at that date forbidding colonial products from being shipped to 
other than English ports. Until about 1800 the making of tar 
was not as largely confined to North Carolina as it is at present, 
nor even to the Southern States. Besides being burnt in Virginia 
from the loblolly and short-leaf pines, some was made in New York 
and other Northern States from the pitch pine (Piniis rigida), but 
more for home use than for export. Georgia and South Carolina 
also produced considerable amounts in colonial days. The method 
of cutting the boxes for collecting the crude turpentine was then 
the same as now. The names of some of the parts connected with 
the process have slightly changed in the meantime. Cornering was- 
then called notching and the virgin dip was called pure dippings. 
These names continued in general use until the early part of the 
present century. 
5 



74 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



Both the tar and the crude turpentine produced in the north- 
eastern part of this State were marketed, in the early davs, usually 
in exchange for goods, at Nansemond or Norfolk, Va., and there 
found ready sale. Before the beginning of the present century 
both commodities had practically ceased to be produced around 
Albemarle sound. The seat of the industry slowly moved west- 
ward from thence up the Roanoke and Tar rivers and southward, 
as the settlements extended, to Washington and Newbern, both 
points shipping large quantities of naval stores to New York and 
Philadelphia, where it was reshipped to England, and there the 
crude turpentine was distilled. The largest special use for the 
crude turpentine in the United States then was for mixing with 
fats, etc., in making yellow soap. 

Later Developments. — Before 1800 Wilmington became one 
of the largest shipping points for both crude turpentine and tar. 
In 1804 the exportation of crude turpentine from AVilmington 
amounted to 77,000 barrels, and .the total amount of naval stores 
shipped exceeded that from all other ports of the United States. 
The crude turpentine was brought down the rivers on rafts and 
small boats from as high as Edgecombe county to Washington, 
from Wayne count}^ to Newbern, and from all the northern tribu- 
taries of the Cape Fear river to Wilmington, and was distilled in 
crude iron stills partly at the shipping points, partly in Philadel- 
phia and New York, and much also went to England to be there 
distilled. The spirits of turpentine usually found quick sales and 
good prices except when overproduction took place, and was pre- 
ferred in France even to the Bordeaux turpentine, which was made 
in the department of the Landes in Gascony, being less odorous 
and more uniform in quality than that. The rosin manufactured 
was worth very little, getting down as low as 25 cents a barrel and 
then so low it would not pay to handle it. The tar and pitch 
manufactured at first gave general satisfaction and were made in 
large quantities. In 1770 there w^ere nearly 100,000 barrels of 
tar and pitch shipped from the United States, about one-fifth of 
this amount being pitch shipped from North Carolina. 

In 1799 the tar used in England came in equal proportions from 
Russia, Sweden and the United States. Later the Carolina tar 



THE XAVAL STORE INDUSTRY IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



75 



and pitch were less esteemed in England, where they were said to 
burn the cordage more than the products made in the Baltic 
provinces. This was said to be due to dead wood being used in 
North Carolina for making tar and the burning being carried on 
so rapidly and at so high a temperature that ^ wood acids w^ere 
formed in large quantities along with the tar. American products 
were also objected to because they were earthy, the receptacle being 
carelessly made, and were packed in insecure, leaky barrels. These 
last objections are sometimes made against them now, though the 
use of cases for shipping has tended to remedy the evil. 

In Bothnia and Sweden, on the other hand, only living wood 
of the fir and usually from, the lower part of the trunk and roots 
were used and burning was carried on more slowdy. In 1831 
there were imported into England 10,900 lasts of tar, of 14 barrels 
each. Of these 8,700 came from Russian provinces on the gulf 
of Bothnia, 1,200 from Sweden and only 1,000 from the United 
States. The amount imported from the United States has remained 
at very near these figures ever since. 

The total value of the resinous products shipped from the United 
States, however, increased from about $200,000 in 1800 to |567,000 
in 1834, and to $700,000 in 1838. Most of the products shipped up 
to this time w^ere from North Carolina, as previous to 1838 trees 
were not tapped for turpentine south of the Cape Fear river, it 
being a generally held opinion that south of that river the pines 
would not yield. This error was soon discovered by experiment- 
ing with the trees in that section and orchards there soon became 
as valuable as those farther north. 

In 1836 copper distilleries were introduced in this country and 
at the same time there was an increased demand for spirits turpen- 
tine as a solvent of India rubber, this being the cheapest solvent 
of that article obtainable, and was thus used in the manufacture 
of rubber goods. It was also used for illuminating purposes, 
though the different forms of petroleum oils and the general use 
in towns of illuminating gas, made from coal, soon supplanted it. 
Stimulated by this increased demand the production of turpen- 
tine extended rapidly southward beyond the Cape Fear river into 
South Carolina, and up the Cape Fear to Cumberland and Har- 



76 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



nett counties. The British free-trade measure in 1846 gave free 
entrance into English ports to the products manufactured from 
turpentine and this stimulated the manufacture of these products 
in North Carolina. From this date forward the exports of crude 
turpentine decreased as the exports of spirits turpentine, rosin, 
tar, etc., increased. 

It was found more economical to move the stills as close to the 
seat of production as possible, so that when rosin was low in value 
the spirits of turpentine only need be shipped. This allowed 
work to be done farther from the water-courses, near to which the 
industry had been previously confined. By 1855 about one-half 
of the spirits of turpentine shipped from AVilmington was dis- 
tilled inland. The shipments from AVashington and Xewbern had 
already begun to decline, the building of the AVilmington and 
Weldon Railroad having largely turned their trade toward Peters- 
burg and AVilmington. 

By 1860 the orchards from which Washington drew its supply 
approached exhaustion and production soon ceased. Newbern 
being farther south, the industry continued there for several years 
longer, but after 1870 the decline in production became rapid and 
practically ceased during the past decade. There is now no dis- 
tillery in full operation within thirty miles of Xewbern. Xorth of 
the Xeuse river there were in 1893 only eight distilleries in operation, 
with an output for that year of less than 7,000 barrels of rosin. 
Three of these distilleries were in Johnston, two in Xash, two in 
Wilson and one in AVayne county. 

SOUTH-AVESTAVARD EXTEXSIOX OF THE IXDFSTRY. After 1835 

the seat of the production of turpentine began to moA'e south- 
westward through the Southern States. In 1810 the value of the 
total product amounted to $593,451. nearly the entire amount 
being produced in Xorth Carolina ; and in 1860, Avhile the value 
of the total product in the United States Avas 87,454,000, that 
of Xorth Carolina AA'as §5,355,778. In 1870 Xorth Carolina, 
with 147 establishments, manufactured naval store products valued 
at only |2,338,000, while the total product of the United States, 
with 227 establishments, amounted in A^alue to §3,585,000. In 
1893 Georgia made about the same amount of turpentine and rosin 



THE NAVAL STORE INDUSTRY IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



77 



that North Carolina did, while Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and 
Louisiana altogether made about as much more. 

The industry has only become of importance in Mississippi and 
Louisiana during the past few years, and is still capable of great 
expansion in these States. The turpentine orchards of Georgia 
are in about the same condition as those in this State, although 
there is probably in Georgia more round timber standing. The 
same may be said concerning the forests in Alabama. There are 
in Texas, however, between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 acres of 
untapped long-leaf pine forests and the turpentine industry there 
has hardly more than made a beginning. 

Inland Extension in North Carolina. — The first turpentine 
distillery at Fayetteville was established in 1844 by Thomas Lutter- 
low. The same year the first boxes were cut in what is now Harnett 
county, near Manchester, by Henry Harrison, who shipped the 
turpentine from there to Fayetteville to be manufactured. Ten 
years later there was a distillery owned by Jonathan Worth & Son 
in operation in the extreme western part of Harnett county near 
Buffaloe Springs. 

The building in 1850 of a plank road from High Point to Fay- 
etteville, which road was followed in a few years by a similar one 
from Fayetteville through the western section of Cumberland 
county and another which was projected to Raleigh through Har- 
nett and Wake counties, but only partially finished, caused Fay- 
etteville to become the seat of a large business both in handling 
turpentine and rosin and in distilling the crude turpentine. The 
satisfactory prices obtained, and the facilit}^ with which the pro- 
duce could be gotten to Fayetteville on the plank roads for ship- 
ment down the Cape Fear river to Wilmington, led to the indus- 
try's extending before the outbreak of the civil war, even to the 
very western limits of the pine belt in Chatham, Wake and Moore 
counties. 

The completion, subsequently, of railroads across the western part 
of the long-leaf pine belt caused a great deal of the rosin and 
spirits, manufactured along their lines, to be shipped direct to 
Northern and other inland consumers, without going ma Wilniing- 
ton. In 1893 over 5,000 barrels of rosin went direct west by way 



78 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



of Paint Eock, and over one-half as much went direct north, or to 
Norfolk by rail, as was shipped by way of Wilmington. Although 
the output of rosin and spirits of turpentine has more than doubled 
in the United States since 1860, the demand has increased nearly 
as rapidly until within the last few years, when there has been over- 
production and consequently low prices. 

VAI.UE OF THE NAVAIv STORE PRODUCTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 

From the Eleventh Census the total value of the naval stores 
manufactured in the United States for the year ending May 31, 
1890, was $8,077,379. The product that year consisted of 346,524 
barrels of spirits of turpentine, 1,129,154 barrels of rosin, and 
about 40,000 barrels of tar, pitch and miscellaneous products. 
The turpentine products given above represent the entire amount 
produced in the world for commercial purposes with the exception 
of that made in southern France .and Austria, which altogether 
did not amount to 25,000,000 pounds (about 100,000 barrels). 

AMOUNT OF CAPITAL AND LABOR EMPLOYED. 

The cost of the crude material used to produce the output of 
naval store products in the United States in 1890 was $2,506,440, 
and the capital directly invested in the manufacture of naval stores 
in the United States was reported by the Eleventh Census to be 
$1,117,265, and in North Carolina $269,341. This capital, repre- 
senting 670 establishments, employed 15,313 laborers in the United 
States and 1,747 laborers, on an average, in North Carolina, where 
there were reported to be 194 establishments. 

The relatively suiall nuuiber of laborers given as employed in 
this State is due to the fact that the greater part of the turpentine 
is collected by farmers (or their "hands") who have a small area 
of turpentine orchard and utilize their time at dull seasons in this 
Avay ; and many of these are not included in the above estimate. 
But some of the turpentine collected in other States is also gotten 
in the same manner. 

CONDITION OF THE NAVAL STORE INDUSTRY IN NORTH CAROLINA. 

During the latter part of 1893 the Geological Survey made an 
examination into the condition of the naval store industrj' in North 



THE NAVAL STORE INDUSTRY IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



79 



Carolina, and particularly into the condition of the turpentine 
orchards and the prospects of this industry in the State. The 
statistics for 1893 relating to this industry, which are given helow, 
have been secured by correspondence with naval store dealers and 
distillers in all parts of the long-leaf pine region and by personal 
visits to many sections. The figures used in comparisons have 
been derived from the latest U. S. Census reports, unless credited to 
other sources. 

SPIRITS turpentine: AND ROSIN STATISTICS. 

The accompanying table shows for the year ending December 
31, 1893, the number of turpentine distilleries in operation during 
the year, and the amounts of rosin and turpentine manufactured 
in each county, together with the amounts shipped from each 
county to Wilmington, N. C, and the amounts shipped direct by 
rail routes to consumers and dealers elsewhere. 

Yield of JRosin and Spirits Turpentine in North Caroiina, 1893. 



County. 



Rosin Manufactured. 



Barrels | Barrels 
^ shipped to shipped by 



? \ Wilminj 
^ ton. 



Bladen i 27 

Brunswick { 8 

Columbus I 26 

Cumberland 24 

Duplin 5 

Harnett 9 

Johnston ...! 10 

Montgomerv 12 

Moore \ I 34 



Onslow 

Pender 

Richmond. 
Robeson ... 
"^ampson ... 



12 

8 

13 
28 
30 



Wayne . 
*Other counties. 

Totals 



39,800 
12,000 
37,200 
21,000 
7,800 
3,700 



3,125 
12,600 
10,400 

7,170 
30,200 
41,000 

"4,006 



rail else- 
where. 



3,600 



15,000 

"9,656 
16,764 
22,000 
38,207 
2,700 

"6,017 
9,910 
3,000 
3,970 
7,768 



Total 
number of; 
barrels. I 



43,400 
12,000 
37,200 
36,000 

7,800 
12,750 
16,764 
22,000 
41,332 
15,300 
10,400 
13,187 
40,110 
44,000 

3,970 
11,768 



Spirits of Turpentine 
Manufactured. 



256 229,995 i 137,986 i 367,981 



Casks 
shipped 
to Wil- 
mington. 

7,500 
2,800 
7,750 
3,200 
1,060 
400 



200 
2,700 
2,060 
1,800 
4,712 
7,920 

""800 



Casks 
ship'd by 
rail else- 
where. 



990 



3,961 

'2,335 
2,632 
5,150 
8,637 
450 

'1^083 
3,233 
2,121 
517 
1,517 



Total 
Num- 
ber of 



8,490 
2,800 
7,750 
7,161 
1,060 
2,735 
2,632 
5,150 
8,837 
3,150 
2,060 
2,883 
7.945 
10,041 
517 
2,317 



42,902 i 32,626 75,528 



*This includes four counties: Nash with 2 distilleries, Wilson with 2, Lenoir with 2 and New 
Hanover with i. The amounts included in this statement for New Hanover county are estimates 
obtained by adding the average yearly output of one distillery. 



80 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



The number of counties which produced crude turpentine during 
the year (1893) was 19. The amounts produced in New Hanover, 
Nash and Wilson were very small. New Hanover producing prac- 
tically none. The greater part of the crude turpentine which was 
manufactured in that county was brought from South Carolina, 
and from inland counties along the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape 
Fear rivers. 

The total amounts of rosin and spirits of turpentine manufac- 
tured in North Carolina and their values are shown in the accom- 
panying table for the year 1893 and the census years ending May 
31, 1870, 1880 and 1890 as reported by the United States Census 
for those years. 



Quantity and Value of Rosin and Spirits Turpcnfiru Manufactured in North Carolina. 



Year. 


Number of 
establish- 
ments. 


Rosix. 


Spirits of Turpentine. ' 


Total value. 


i Barrels. 

i 


Value. 


Casks. 


Value. 


1870 
1880 
1890 
1893 


147 
184 
194 
247 


1 




1 


^2,338,309 
1,758,488 

^ 1,705,833 
1,752,760 










365,233 
1 367,981 


1377,310 
392,000 


72,888 
75,528 


11,293,086 
1,283,760 ' 



The total values represent the value of all products manufac- 
tured directly from turpentine. 

Production has ceased during the past ten years in Wake, 
Craven and Edgecombe counties. There has been an increase 
since 1880 only in Moore and Montgomery counties, the number of 
barrels of rosin produced in Moore county for the year (1893) being 
considerably larger than the number produced in 1880, though 
the value of the product is less now than at that 3ate. Mont- 
gomery county is credited with no resinous products in the cen- 
sus of 1880, but in 189 3 tber? were 12 distilleries operating there 
w^hich produced 22,000 barrels of rosin. 

DECREASK IN THE PRODUCTION OF CRUDE TURPENTINE. 

The quantity of crude turpcntiue shipped is small now com- 
pared with past shipments. All that was shipped last year went 
direct to domestic consumers, mostly manufacturers of printing 



THE NAVAL STORE INDUSTRV IN NORTH CAROLINA. 81 



and lithographic inks. Boston was the largest market, New York 
and Baltimore being next in order. There were 6,331 barrels 
shipped from AVilmington and 4,600 barrels from other points, 
making a total of 10,931 barrels, with an estimated valuation of 
$12,000. The grades of this crude turpentine were not obtainable. 

The general decrease in the amount of crude turpentine pro- 
duced in the extreme eastern counties during the past twenty years 
is approximately shown by the decrease in the exports of rosin and 
spirits turpentine from Wilmington. This will not apply to the 
more westerly counties and to Harnett, Johnston, Cumberland and 
Robeson, since additional railroad facilities during the past ten 
years have turned a large part of their products from Wilmington. 
In a few of these counties, as in Montgomery and Moore, the prod- 
uct has increased considerably of late, owing to better railroad 
facilities, but this product is largely transported direct to Northern 
markets and does not enter into this statement of exports from 
Wilmington. 

The total exports of rosin and spirits of turpentine from Wil- 
mington for every year since 1872, as shown by the records of the 
Wilmington Produce Exchange, were as follows: 

Total Rosin and Spirits Turpentine Exported from Wilmington, 1873- 93. 



Year 



1873 
1874 
1875 
1876 
1877 
1878 
1879 
1880 
1881 
1882 
1883 



Exports 
of 
Kosin, 
Barrels. 



690,151 
556,182 
523,330 
490,555 
537,704 
581,958 
512,891 
447,750 
486,138 
444,318 
453,465 



Exports of 
Spirits of 
Turpentine, 
Casks. 



181,236 
125,837 
107,420 
91,592 
101,832 
118,176 
91,224 
101,725 
87,658 
87,896 
82,135 



Year. 



1884 
1885 
1886 
1887 
1888 
1889 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1893 



Exports 

of 
E-osin, 
Barrels. 



342,936 
314,724 
331,497 
381,535 
246,566 
351,827 
385,523 
304,818 
273,291 
224,070 



Exports of 
Spirits of 
Turpentine, 
Casks. 



71,354 
66,603 
63,684 
71,912 
63,473 
61,626 
70,285 
60,844 
58,034 
47,228 



When the exports of 1883, for both rosin and spirits of tur- 
pentine, are compared with those of 1873 there is shown a falling 
off of over one-third, while there is a falling off of nearly one-half 
in the decade between 1883 and 1893. 



82 FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



Many distilleries in the extreme eastern counties reported that 
their territory had not been thoroughh^ worked, during the last few 
years, on account of the low ptices, and that any rise in prices 
would largely increase production. This fact may in part account 
for the more rapid decline in the receipts of rosin and spirits of 
turpentine at Wilmington since 1883. 

The following table gives the foreign exports of rosin and spirits 
of turpentine from AVilmington and their value for the past ten 
years. The data were kindly compiled from the records of the 
custom-house at Wilmington, for the Survey, by Mr. J. M. Cronly, 
Deputy Collector of that port : 

QuantHy cmd Value of Foreign Exports of Rosui and Spirits Turpentine from 
Wilininfjtoii, X. C, 1874 and 1SS4-9S. 



Foreign Exports of Rosin. 



Year. 



1874 
1884 
1885 
1886 
1887 
1888 
1889 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1893 



Barrels. 



248,424 
300,932 
290,165 
288,499 
333,119 
311,()13 
281,251 
302,094 
296,918 
251,853 
231,056 



Value 



405,776 
348,849 
306,538 
338,356 
341,825 
296,987 
394,569 
426,007 
371,394 
299,286 



Foreign Exports Spirits Tur- 
pentine. 



Gallons. 



2,530,000 
1,418,848 
2,375,482 
2,139,091 
2,203,457 
1,988,103 
1,630,795 
1,751,270 
1,473,157 
1,080,231 
918,727 



Value. 



470,644 
689,964 
732,642 
757,398 
695,476 
641,025 
709,988 
565,834 
372,534 
256,178 



While the foreign exports of rosin have varied but little there- 
has been a steady decline in the amount of spirits of turpentine 
shipped. 

THE rosin trade. 

The bulk of the rosin made in the United States is used in for- 
eign countries, England importing the larger part of it. About 
two-thirds of the amount manufactured in North Carolina last year 
went to Europe, and the remainder to domestic consumers. Domestic 
manufacturers use more of the fine grades of rosin made in this 
State than foreign manufacturers do. An attempt was made to 
ascertain the amounts of the different grades of rosin manufactured, 



THE NAVAL STORE INDUSTRY IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



83 



but returns as to this point were frequently imperfect. There were, 
however, about 4,800 barrels of W. W. and W. G. rosin (the two 
highest and lightest colored grades)"^ shipped by rail from the 
western counties of the pine belt, and about 4,000 barrels of the 
same grades were shipped to Wilmington, from the more eastern 
counties of the pine belt. There were about 20,000 barrels of other 
grades of light rosin (above N.) made in the western counties, 
and shipped b}^ rail, and about 25,000 barrels of these grades made 
in the more eastern counties and shipped via Wilmington. It 
seems that, while Wilmington handled nearly two-thirds of the rosin 
manufactured in North Carolina it only received about one-half of 
the finer grades of rosin. Practically all of the finer grades of 
rosin which were received at AVilmington, during the year 1893, were 
sent to Europe. 

EXPORTS OF TAR AND PITCH FROM NORTH CAROLINA. 

Exports of tar and pitch froni North Carolina have varied during 
the past twenty years much less than have those of rosin and turpen- 
tine. The exports, both foreign and domestic, of these, commodi- 



*Grades of Rosin.— The commonly recognized grades of rosin in the United States areas fol- 
lows: "W. W." — water white ; "W.G." — window-glass; "N." — extra pale; "M." — pale; "K." — 
low pale; "I."— good No. i: "H."— No. i; "F."— good No. 2; "E."— No. 2; "D."— good strain; 
"C." — strain; "B." — common strain ; "A." — black. 

"Water white" and "window-glass," which are the lightest colored and highest priced rosins, 
are made only from the "virgin dip," and usually only from that gathered during the first parts 
of the season. The virgin dip is the turpentine taken from the boxes the year or season that the3' 
are cut. The last dipping of the first season (the boxes are dipped from six to eight times during 
a season) give a yellowish turpentine which makes rosin of about the grade "N." The second 
and succeeding years " yellow dip " is obtained, the turpentine having acquired a decided yellow 
tinge of color from running down over the face of the tree which was hacked during the preceding 
summer when it comes in contact with the old and dark-colored resin on its surface, and is subject 
to the evaporation of the volatile oils in it by being longer exposed to the heat of the sun. 

The second year's yellow dip makes usually rosin of the grade " N." during the first part of the 
season, while only darker grades "I/." and "M." are gotten during the latter part of the season. 
Each year that the boxes are worked the dip becomes more colored, yields a darker rosin, and has 
less spirits of turpentine in it on account of having to run down a larger surface, covered with 
colored resin, and be exposed for a longer time to the oxidizing influences of the sun and air. 
The "scrape," which is the hardened resin adhering to the scarified face of the tree, yields the 
darker grades of rosin. The common grades are made from old .scrape on trees which have been 
worked several years, and frequently has mixed with it sticks and chips, cut from the tree while 
the hardened scrape was being removed. The turpentine produced from the lighter colored dip- 
pings is of a better qu'ality than that from the darker, being purer and lighter and having less 
rosin oil in it. 

A large part of the dark grades of rosin ("strain" and "common") which are exported to 
Europe are used in manufacturing rosin oil. The finer grades are used in the manufacture of 
soaps, paper sizing, etc. 



84 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



ties from Wilmington for the years 1874, 1884 and 1893 were as 
follows : 

Total Exports of Tar and Pitch from W(Imingto)i. 



Year. 



Tar, Barrels. 



1874 


68,619 


7,400 


1884 


68,794 


5,734 


1893 


52,541 


3,274 



Pitch, Barrels. 



In 1893, besides the above, 4,600 barrels of tar and 700 barrels 
of pitch were shipped North by rail from Robeson and Cumber- 
land counties. This makes a total of 57,100 barrels of tar and 
4,000 barrels of pitch, with an estimated value of $65,000. The 
foreign exports of tar and pitch from Wilmington, for the years 
1873, 1884, 1893 were as follows: In 1873 they were 48,200 
barrels; in 1884 they were 20,138 barrels; in 1893, 7,740 barrels. 
This shows a decline in the foreign exports of more than 50 per 
cent, during each decade. 



TOTAL, AMOUNT AND VALUE OF NAVAL STORE PRODUCTS IN NORTH CAROLINA, 1893. 

The total amount and value of the naval store products shipped 
from North Carolina during the year 1893 were approximately as 
follows : 



Amount and Value of XortJt Carolina Xaral Store Products, 1893. 



75,528 barrels of spirits turpentine 11,283,760 

367,981 barrels of rosin 392,000 

10,931 barrels crude turpentine 12,000 

63,100 barrels tar and pitch 65,000 

Total value of products $1,752,760 



A preliminary report of the Eleventh Census estimates the total 
products for North Carolina for the year ending May 31, 1890, to 
have had a valuation of $1,705,833. No crude turpentine is given 
in that report and the tar is given at 600 barrels, valued at $847 
for the entire State. This statement is evidently incorrect, since 
the exports of that product from Wilmington alone amounted to 



THE NAVAL STOKE INDUSTRY IX NORTH CAROLINA. 



80 



72,000 barrels for the year 1890 and almost as much for the pre- 
ceding year. 

CONDITION OP THE TURPENTINE ORCHARDS IN NORTH CAROLINA. 

As bearing on the future supply of resinous products in North 
Carolina, a close examination was made into the condition of the 
long-leaf pine forests noAv standing in the State, and in the follow- 
ing notes the writer has endeavored to show the character and 
extent of the existing productive orchards, of those orchards which 
have been abandoned, the round timber which can be boxed, and 
the second growth long-leaf pine. 

LENGTH OF TIME THAT TURPENTINE ORCHARDS ARE WORKED. 

The orchards of the Cape Fear river section have been worked 
steadily for from twenty to thirty-five years and in Sampson and 
Bladen counties many bodies of pine are reported as having three 
sets of boxes on them, having been worked since 1845, with inter- 
missions of a few years for rest and to allow the space between the 
hacked faces to increase in breadth. The yield from these long- 
worked trees is still considerable when they grow on good soil, and 
when the trees have been injured in no other way, as by fire 
charring the faces of the old boxes. 

These trees along the Cape Fear river seem capable of standing 
continuous working longer than those in any other part of the State 
or even of the United States, there being numerous rejjorts from 
this section stating that the orchards had been worked from forty 
to fifty years. From Columbus county only one distiller reported 
that his trees had been worked as long as thirty-five years, while 
others stated that theirs were abandoned after having been worked 
from twenty to twenty-five years. One distiller in Robeson county, 
on the Cape Fear river, reported fifty years as the maximum time, 
while for those farther west, in Moore county, approaching the clay 
uplands and at an elevation of from 300 to 500 feet above the sea- 
level, a productive limit of twenty years was given. In South 
Carolina the trees are worked from twelve to fifteen years ; in 
Georgia from four to eight years, except the slash pine (Pinus 



86 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



cuhensis Griseb.) along the coast, which ''runs dry" in one or two 
years, as is true of the loblolly pine in North Carolina. 

It may be said that most of the orchards now producing in North 
Carolina have been "back-boxed"* and that over four-fifths of 
the crude turpentine comes from back-boxed trees. Only in Mont- 
gomery and the western parts of Moore county are there any 
extensive bodies of trees w^hich have not been back-boxed. The 
average time the trees have been worked in these two counties is 
about seven years, but many of the orchards in Montgomery have 
only been worked for four years. 



ARKAS OF ABANDONED TURPENTINE ORCHARDS. 

An examination of this region showed that large areas of long- 
leaf pine forests had been abandoned as no longer profitably yield- 
ing turpentine. Such areas, wdiere the trees are still standing, are 
classed by the distillers as ahandoiied orchards. AVhen these forests 
have been removed by fire or cut by lumbermen and no loblolly 
pine has appeared to take the place of the long-leaf pine, the term 
ivaste land is applied to these areas. The following estimates of the 
amounts of abandoned orchards in the separate counties are based 
on returns made by 162 distillers in these counties, supplemented 
by personal investigation by the writer. These areas, in acres, of 
abandoned turpentine orchards were as follows in December, 1893: 

Areas of Abandoned Turpentine Orchards in Norili Carolina, 1893. 



Bladen county 



60,000 acres. Onslow county 38,000 acres. 



Brunswick 98,000 

Cumberland 51,000 

Duplin 17,00!) 

Harnett 52,000 

Lenoir 2(»,000 

Johnston 30,000 

Montgomery 10,000 

Moore 10,000 

Nash 25,000 



Pender 28,000 

Richmond 32,000 

Robeson 63,500 

Sampson 58,500 

AVayne 30,000 

Wilson 20,000 

Other counties 75,000 



Total in the State.... 718, 000 



Included in the term "other counties" are Wake, Edgecombe, 
Craven, Columbus, New Hanover and Carteret counties. The 



*For explanations of this and other terms see pp. 94—96. 



THE XAVAL STORE INDUSTRY IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



87 



amount abandoned during the past few years has been greater than 
usual, the very low prices making it unprofitable to work thinly 
timbered orchards longer. The operation of many of these bodies 
may be resumed should there be any material advance in prices 
of naval store products, but such a change is hardly probable. In 
these areas of abandoned orchards there is a great range of density 
of forest growth, varying from that which may be called the normal 
densit}^, which will cut from 3,500 to 4,500 feet, board measure, to 
the acre, to that which will scarcely cut 300 feet to the acre, below 
which latter limit it would be considered ivaste land unless a 
growth of loblolly pine has, in part, replaced the long-leaf pine. 
Although there is very little of this abandoned orchard that is 
heavily timbered with long-leaf pine, all of it has, more or less, 
valuable mill timber on it. Much of the timber might again be 
boxed and profitably worked if protected until the growth of the 
space between the boxes would allow new boxes to be cut. 

ANNUAL ADDITIONS TO THE TURPENTINE ORCHARDS. 

The number of acres of round timber being boxed yearly is now 
very small. An attempt was made to ascertain this amount, but 
both hack boxes and original boxes were included in the returns; 
these figures, too, were somewhat fragmentary for certain districts. 
For the seasons 1892- 93 and 1893-94 the total number of boxes cut 
in each county were about as follows: 

Number of Boxes Cut in NortJi Carolina, 1893- 94. 



County. 


Season 
1892-'93. 


Bladen 


86,000 


Brunswick! 


10,000 


Columbus 


60,000 


Cumberland 


255, UOO 


Duplin t 


11,000 




82,000 




35,000 


Montgomery 


35,000 


Moore 


, 83,000 





Season 
1893-'94. 

95,000 

""70,000" 
220,000 
4,000 
70,000 
42,000 
60,000 
78,000 
3,000 



County. 



New Hanover* 
Pender 



Richmond 



Wayne. 
Wilson. 



Season 


Season 


1892-'93. 


1 893-' 94. 


60,000 


60,000 


33,000 


22,000 


35,000 


18,000 ' 


90,000 


65,000 


197,000 


96,500 


114,000 


105,000 


7,000 


3,000 



Totals !l, 193,000 1,011,500 



*No returns made. 



fReturns not full. 



88 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



It can be roughly estimated that it would require the trees on 
20,000 acres to hold the number of boxes cut in 1893-'94. The 
proportion of this which was round timber, and which represents 
the increase in the area of orchard, was under 3,000 acres. The 
largest single tract ascertained to have been newly boxed was 350 
acres in Bladen county. There were other tracts nearly as large 
in Sampson, Harnett, Richmond and Montgomery counties. 

BOXING OF OTHER SPECIES OF PINES. 

The loblolly and short-leaf pines are not generally tapped in 
this State. An attempt was made, however, to find out the num- 
ber of loblolly pine (P. Taeda) boxes cut last year in Johnston and 
Robeson counties, where most of them are worked, and the num- 
ber w^as found to be under 20,000, showing that a very insignifi- 
cant amount of turpentine is produced from this tree. There were 
about 3,000 short-leaf pine (P. mitis) boxes cut last year in Mont- 
gomery county. This tree was extensively worked fifteen years 
ago in Wake and Chatham counties. The young trees are the only 
ones which yield sufficiently to justify boxing; they yield about 
two-thirds as much crude turpentine as the long-leaf pine and can be 
worked from six to seven years. The crude turpentine from the 
loblolly pine is very thin, and runs so freely that it usually over- 
flows the box and runs down to the ground, unless the boxes are 
dipped more frequently than the long-leaf pine boxes are. It is 
said to have so much water in it that when distilled without a 
large intermixture of crude turpentine from the long-leaf pine 
only a poor quality of spirits turpentine is obtained. 

AMOUNT OF ROUND TIMBER AVAII,ABI,E FOR BOXING. 

This name is given to the original growth of long-leaf pine 
before it has been boxed. It makes, of course, better mill timber 
than the boxed trees, which have the lower part of the stock around 
the face of the boxes surcharged with resin, obliterating all signs 
of the grain and making what is called lightwood. The amount 
of round timber, in acres, standing in each county December, 1893, 
was, as nearly as could be determined, as follows: 



THE NAVAL STORE INDI'STIIV IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



89 



Amount ofR()i(>}(l T'unhcr {Long-leaf Pine) bi North Carolina, December, 1893. 

Bladen 3,900 acres. Nash 700 acres. 

Columbus 3,700 " Onslow 3,20U " 

Cumberland 1,300 " Pender 5,400 " 

Duplin 1,900 " Richmond 2,200 " 

Harnett (5,100 " Robeson 6,850 " • 

Johnston 200 " Sampson 876 

Jones -100 " Wake 700 " 

Lenoir 1,500 " Wayne 200 " 

Montgomery 6,('50 " 

Moore 10,700 " Total for the State... -55,876 " 

The total amount of round timber now standing is very little 
more than was yearly being put in orchard during the period 
between 1840 and 1870. The number of acres of round timber 
standing in these same counties fifty years ago must have been 
between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 acres. Much of this remaining 
timber will probably never be boxed, being in small bodies in dis- 
tricts where trees have ceased to be worked for turpentine. 

YOUNG GROWTH OF LONG-I.EAF PINE. 

The youDg growth of long-leaf pine may also be included along 
with the round pine as timber which in part now, or in the near 
future, can be worked for turpentine. But unfortuuately the acre- 
age of second growth pine which is now, or even soon will be. of 
sufficient size to be boxed for this purpose, is very small, and the 
trees in such growth are scattering, consequently they are short- 
bodied and present little uniformity as regards size or regularity of 
growth. The figures for this acreage are based on field notes taken 
during an examination of the pine lands during the winter of 
1893-94. In each case they are probably much in excess of the 
true amount of young growth of trees large enough to hold a tur- 
pentine box. The counties iu which any large amount of youug 
growth was observed and the approximate amounts of this in each 
(in acres) are enumerated in the accompanying table: 

Areas of Young Growth of Long-leaf Pine in North Carolina, 1893. 
Bladen county 3,500 acres. New Hanover 4,000 acres. 



Craven 5,000 

Cumberland 2,700 

Moore 700 

Lenoir 2,000 

Johnston 700 



Robeson 2,000 

Sampson 2,500 

Others possibly 10,000 



Total in the State 33,100 



90 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



Some of this youDg growth has ah'eady been boxed, but the 
amount of turpentine gotten from it is inconsiderable. It varies 
in age from about eigliteen to thirty-five vears, and in diameter from 
four inches to eighteen inches. The amount of young growth 
loblolly and short-leaf pine is very large, should the price ever 
allow them to be extensively worked for turpentine. 

DECREASING AREA OF TURPENTINE ORCHARDS IN NORTH CAROLINA. 

As shown in the above statements the additions to the areas of 
turpentine orchards during the past few years, from both the tak- 
mg in of new mature forests and the boxing of young or second 
growth pine trees Ijas been small. On the other hand, the destructive 
agencies, such as forest fires, storms and the lumbermen, have been 
actively at wo^'k, and as the result of their combined activities the 
area of productive turpentine orchards in North Carolina has been 
reduced to but a small part of what it was half a century ago. 
Over the large areas north of Neuse river the long-leaf pine has 
practically disappeared. Over large areas between this river and 
the South Carolina State boundary line many of tlie once dense 
virgin long-leaf pine forests have given place to equally large areas 
of abandoned pine barrens and waste lands. 



Every year there is more or less destruction of standing timber 
by fires, both in worked and in abandoned orchards. The loss 
during the past year and the number of acres burnt over are 
shown with approximate accuracy in the accompanying tabulated 
state uient: 



DESTRUCTION OF ORCHARDS BY FIRES. 



Some of the Losses from Fires hi Long-leaf Pine Forests, 1893. 



Locality. 



No. of Acres Burnt. 



Loss. 



Moore county 

Cumberland 

Robeson , 

Six other smaller fires 



30,000 
10,000 
5,000 
3,500 



$25,000^ 
12,000t 
6,000 
5,000 



Totals 



48,500 



148,000 



*Kstimated by W. E. Petty, Esq., Carthage, N. C. 
t Estimated by Mr. John Blue, of Aberdeen, N. C. 



THE NAVAL STORE IXDUSTKY IX NORTH CAROLINA. 



91 



All of these fires took place in the spring, either in March or 
April, and all were reported as started from the firing of the grass 
of the pine barrens. The first two fires were particularly severe, 
going through orchards that were being worked, and ruining not 
only the boxes, but also killing a great deal of the timber, very 
little of which was so situated that it could be converted into lum- 
ber before being attacked by the borers. 

In the fall of 1892 there was another severe fire in Richmond 
and Moore counties, which destroyed a large amount of timber, 
and also the village of AVest End, on the Aberdeen & West End 
Railroad. The value of the timber alone destroyed by this fire was 
placed at $75,000. 

The danger and loss occasioned by fires in the forests is not suffi- 
ciently understood by the class of persons who are generally the 
cause of them. In the pine barrens most of the fires are purposely 
started, and the persons starting them should be held responsible 
for any loss caused by them. Too great discretion cannot be exer- 
cised about a suitable time to burn the woods, when it is deemed 
absolutely necessary to burn them, and persons should be careful 
that it is not too late in the season: after the trees have begun to 
put forth their leaves or shoots, and that the season is not too dry. 
Much care should be taken to prevent such fires escaping proper 
bounds and destroying the property of other persons who are in 
no way connected with the starting of the fire. 

The damage of fires is more than local and the loss occasioned 
by them, or resulting from them, is felt far beyond the immediate 
district in which they occur. Even when there is no apparent 
damage it sets a precedent, the following of wdiich is sure ulti- 
mately to lead to great damage. And there is always a consid- 
erable amount of damage done ; enough to far more than counter- 
balance the advantages supposed to be gained in improving the 
pasturage of the forests or in other ways. 

The illustration (Plate I) facing page 58 is from a photograph 
of a long-leaf pine forest a few miles w^est of Southern Pines, 
Moore county, taken some months after a forest fire had swept 
through this region. All of the pines at this point w^ere killed. 
Many of them fell and were partially or completely destroyed, and 



92 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



the few left standing were practically ruined, as they could not be 
cut at once. (See, also, pp. 57 and 61 for notes on the destructive 
work of forest fires). 

DAMAGES TO ORCHARDS FROM STORMS. 

Besides the injuries to turpentine orchards, during 1893, from 
fires they were damaged by two severe storms, occurring one in 
August and the other in October, in the fall. The earlier storm, 
in August, did but slight damage, except to abandoned orchards. 
The one of October 14th, however, proved generally destructive 
to all boxed pines, besides blowing up by the roots many oaks 
and other hardwood trees. The damages were greater in the 
south-eastern portions of the State, especially in Columbus, Bladen, 
Sampson and Johnston counties, but they were by no means con- 
fined to these counties. The force of the storm was not uniformly 
distributed over this area, but was more severe at numerous scat- 
tered points. Twenty distillers in these counties estimate that at 
least one-tenth of their trees were blown down, while other orchards 
were injured to a less extent, and several thousand acres of aban- 
doned orchard were ruined. 

Most of this fallen timber proved to be a total loss, though about 
100,000 railroad cross-ties were cut from it at points contiguous to 
the railroads, and small quantities of it were carried to the saw- 
mills on the Cape Fear river. Unboxed long-leaf pines suffered 
very little, and neither the loblolly pine nor swamp timber was 
damaged to any considerable extent. Boxed pines, as a rule, were 
broken off at the box. Out of one hundred prostrated long-leaf 
pines seen near Bladenboro (N. C.) eighty-five were broken off at 
the box, four above the box but along the face, ten were blown up 
by the roots, and only one tree was broken off above the face of 
the box. These facts show the importance of adopting some other 
system of gathering the turpentine which will avoid the deep box- 
ing of the trees. Such a system is practiced in France, and is 
described further on in this report (page 96). 



THE NAVAL STORE INDUSTJIY IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



93 



AREA OF ORCHARDS REDUCED BY I.UMBERING. 

Lumbermen are also instrumental to a considerable extent in 
reducing the acreag'e of turpentine orchards. In Moore, Rich- 
mond and Robeson counties they are rapidly cutting into the 
orchards. Eleven distillers in the two first counties reported their 
orchards as having been cut into by lumbermen last year, 
least 35,000 acres of new and abandoned orchard must have been 
cut over during 1893 to have yielded the lumber cut during that 
year by the mills sawing long-leaf pine. 

HOW LONG CAN OUR TURPENTINE ORCHARDS LAST? 

It appears from the foregoing that there are in the State less 
than 75,000 acres of long-leaf pine timber now unboxed which can 
be added in the future to the turpentine orchards, and that the 
present yield of turpentine is derived principally from "back- 
boxed" trees, which if not destroyed within twenty years could 
not continue to yield turpentine for more than that length of time. 
In point of fact, however, the trees of existing orchards cannot 
produce turpentine, except in a small way, for even that length of 
time, since they are being destroyed by fire, or converted into lum- 
ber, at the rate of over 60,000 acres a year. Then, too, the rate of 
destruction increases each year as the number of mills increases, 
and as the amount of abandoned orchard, which proper precau- 
tions are not taken to protect from fire, becomes larger; and these 
abandoned orchards serve as means of carrying fire to the newer 
orchards which are being used. 

FRENCH AND AMERICAN METHODS OF GATHERING TURPENTINE. 

The two chief objections to the American system of boxing trees 
for turpentine are: 

(1) . The injury to the tree produced by the box, interrupting and 
impairing the life processes and sooner or later damaging the tim- 
ber or causing its pntire destruction, and, 

(2) . That the yield of spirits of turpentine is less than it should be, 
and the rosin manufactured is largely of darker and inferior grades. 

A method of tapping the trees, which to a ver}^ great extent 



94 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



remedies these faults, is the Hugues system, which was first used 
in France about 1860, and since that time has come into general 
use in that country, having been found more efficacious than the 
one previously used there. It presents as great an advancement 
on the American system now in vogue as the American did on the 
early French method. 

THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF GATHERING TURPENTINE. 

The American method, which can be advantageously used only 
on stocks over fifteen inches in diameter, consists of cutting in the 
base of the tree, about eight inches from the ground, a hole called 
the box. This box, which is hollowed out with a narrow, thin- 
bladed axe manufactured for the purpose, has a length following 
the circumference of the tree of about fourteen inches {d to e of 
Plate II), a depth of about seven inches (6 to /), and extends 
back into the wood at the mouth of the box about four inches 
{b to c), or at the bottom of the box (/) about five inches. At the 
same time that the box is cut there is a triangular strip removed 
on either side of it and extending up as high as the tip of the box- 
This operation is called cornering and the channels left where the 
chips were removed act as gutters leading into the box. 

Immediately above this box the thin bark and a thin section of 
the sap-wood is removed by means of a sharp, bent-bladed imple- 
ment called the hack. In this process, called hacking or chipping^ the 
implement is drawn at an oblique angle across the surface of the 
trunk alternately in opposite directions, each pair of grooves made 
by the hack forming a V, so that the cut surface consists of two 
planes forming a very obtuse angle, the lines of their union run- 
ning vertically up the tree above the center of the box, and down 
which line the resin runs into the box. This scarified surface, 
called the /ace, has a breadth of from fourteen to sixteen inches and 
a depth usually of one and one-half to two inches, rarely going in 
as deep as the thickness of the sap-wood. 

The boxes are cut late in fall or early in spring, and in the 
first part of March chipping is begun, and is repeated about 
once a week for from thirty to thirty-five weeks, according to the 



N. C. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



BULLETIN 0 PLATE II. 




AMERICAN PRACTICE OF BOXING AND CHIPPING. 

[FROM U. S. DEPT. AGR. REPT.] 



THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF (iATIIERINO TURPENTINE. 



95 



length of the summer season and the way the resin runs. x\t each 
chipping about one-half an inch of wood is cut off. The resin 
lying in the resin ducts or pores, which are parallel with the 
grain of the wood, flows out when these ducts are cut and runs 
down into the box. The object of repeated chipping is to open 
a fresh surface for the exudation, when the ducts have become 
clogged by an accumulation in them of hardened resin. By the 
end of the first season the face has been carried up eighteen to 
twenty four inches above the box. 

The resin which runs into the box, called virgin dip the first 
season, and the yelloiu dip of subsequent years is a thick, viscid 
liquid, more or less transparent and tliinner the first season, but 
hardening quickly on exposure. During the first season it is 
removed seven or eight times from the box. That resin which 
hardens on the face is removed by a sharp scraper (scraping) and is 
mixed with chips and bark, and, besides containing only one-half 
as much spirits of turpentine as the dip, makes a much harder and 
darker and withal less valuable grade of rosin than the dip, much 
of the spirits of the scrape having evaporated or oxidized under 
the influence of light, heat and air. Each year as the face is car- 
ried up higher, about twenty inches a year, there is more scrape 
and less dip, as the resin exuding from the freshly hacked sur- 
face has to run over the entire surface which has already been 
hacked before it reaches the box, and a large proportion of it 
hardens and never reaches the box. 

The dip, as has been explained, becomes, in succeeding years, 
gradually darker as work is carried on until it makes only a slightly 
better rosin than the scrape and contains only two-thirds as much 
spirits of turpentine as the virgin dip gotten the first year the 
boxes were worked. There will average two such boxes to a tree, 
the trees generally being about twenty inches in diameter. After 
the ''faces" have been carried up so high that it is no longer 
profitable to work them, the trees are allowed to rest for several 
years and recuperate. During this time the sound wood left 
between the "faces" broadens, partly covering the old faces, so that 
on large trees new "boxes" can be cut in between the old ones and 



96 



FORESTS, FOE EST LANDS AND FOEEST PEODUCTS. 



the trees again worked. This is called " back-hoxiiio-." There are 
frequently three sets of boxes put on one tree. 

THE FRENCPI SYSTEM OF GATHERING TURPENTINE.; 

The original Fi'ench method merely removed the bark and a 
thin layer of sap-wood from a space (face) about five inches wide 
on each tree, and the resin as it exuded after the repeated chippings 
ran into a receptacle placed at the foot of the tree to receive it, or 
frequently into a hole dug in the sand. By the latter method, 
which was ver}^ primitive, the turpentine was mixed with sand, 
the spirits was absorbed and only a poor grade of rosin was made 
from it. 

The method adopted in 1860, when the production of turpen- 
tine was stimulated in France owing to the stoppage of American 
exports by the blockades during the civil war, was very much in 
advance of this. The new method, then adopted, may be described 
in general terms as follows : At the end of February the outer 
bark for a considerable height is removed on all trees which are to 
be tapped that year, leaving onl}^ a thin layer of bark over the 
sap-wood. This is to prevent loose bark from falling into the resin. 
At the first of March, with a peculiar-shaped implement resembling 
an adze with a bent handle and a curved blade, there is made near 
the foot of the tree an incision which is four inches broad, two 
inches high and only one-third of an inch deep. At the bottom of 
this incision a curved gutter of zinc or galvanized iron, which has 
a width of the hacked face and teeth on its inner edge, is driven 
into the wood. This gutter turns the more liquid resin, which 
flows down into an earthenware or zinc cup hung on a staple 
immediately below the gutter. 

The accompanying illustration (Plate III), taken originally from 
Professor L. Boppe's work on Forest Technology, but here repro- 
duced Irom the Annual Report of the Chief of the Division of 
Forestry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, for 1892, "represents 
a pine two hundred years old, with more than fifty scars or chips, 
without apparently any ill effects on the life of the tree. ""^ Some 



*Aii. Rept. Secretary of Agr., Washington, 1S92, p. 34S. 



N. C. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



BULLETIN 5 PLATE III. 




N. C. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



BULLETIN 5 PLATE IV. 




FIG. 3.— FIRE-SAFETY STRIP ALONG RAILROAD, FRENCH TURPENTINE FOREST. 

[FROM U. S. DEPT. AQR. REPT.] 



THE FRENCH SYSTEM OF GATHERING TURPENTINE, 



97 



of the details of the method are more clearly shown in the figures 
1 and 2 of Plate IV. 

Figure 1 of Plate IV "exhibits the method of gathering tur- 
pentine by the Hugues system, and the use of the till and pot. 
While formerly the resin was allowed to run into a hole in the 
sand at the foot of the tree, since 1860, when the production was 
stimulated by the closing of the American sources of supply, an 
improvement on the crude method of collecting came into use. 
It consists in fixing a bent zinc collar or gutter cut from sheet zinc 
eight inches long and two inches wide, with teeth (see figure) across 
the chip, which acts as a lip, and conducts the liquid resin into a 
glazed earthen pot or a zinc vessel of conical shape suspended 
below the lip. The pots are six inches high, four and a half inches 
at the opening, and three inches at the bottom, and hold about one 
quart. At first placed on the ground they are fastened each season 
above tlie old chip by means of a nail through a hole or otherwise 
(see figure). In this way, b}^ shortening the distance over which 
the resin has to flow, the evaporation of the oil is reduced and 
there is less liability of impurities to fall into the receiver. A 
cover over the pot is also sometimes used. The pots are emptied 
every fifteen or twenty days with the aid of a spatula. The scrape 
is collected only twice in the season, in June and November.""^ 

Figure 2 of Plate IV shows a cross section of a pine tree treated 
according to the French method, bled at different places at different 
times. Some of the scars are nearly covered over with new wood 
(as at II), and two of the scars (as at III) have been recently made 
in new wood between older scars. 

"Another improvement which reduces the amount of evapora- 
tion and assures cleaner resin consists in covering the chip with a 
board. This improvement (Hugues system) is said to yield more 
and purer resin, the yield is claimed to be about one-third larger, 
and the difierence in price, on account of purity, 80 to 90 cents 
a barrel, while the cost per tree per year is figured at about one 
cent, besides the proportion of scrape is considerably reduced. 
This (called' gallipot) is collected by hand, except the hardest impure 
parts (called barras,), of which there is hardly any i-n tliis system of 



*An. Rep. Secretary Agr., Washington, D. C, 1892, p. 350. 



98 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



collection. Not more than 17.9 per cent, of scrape is expected, as 
against 29 in the American practice."* 

Figure 3 of Plate IV "shows safety fire strip along railroad; 
a is the elevated roadbed, b is a strip of ground about twenty-five 
feet wide, which is cleared of all inflammable material. Alongside 
of this the wooded safety strip about fifty to sixty feet wide ; e is a 
ditch five to six feet wide, a foot or so deep, the soil being thrown 
toward d. Cross ditches are made through the safety strip every 
300 feet. The total width of the whole system of the road on 
either side is, therefore, eighty to ninety feet. The strip h may be 
used for agricultural purposes if fit for it; strip c remains wooded, 
but the forest floor is cleared out and freed of all inflammable 
material, "t 

Chipping is done forty to fifty times a season, and by the end of 
the first season the chipped surface has reached a height of twenty 
inches; that is, while the face is carried in one season just about 
as high in France as in the United States it is hacked from twelve 
to fifteen times more in the former countr}^ than here. This cup 
can be emptied easily and quickly by lifting it ofl" the tree, and to 
prevent it being broken can be set aside while hacking and scraping 
is in progress, which latter operation is done once a year, in the 
fall. When work is begun on the second and subsequent years 
the cup and gutter are moved up and refastened so as to be just 
under the newly hacked surface. The face is rapidly carried up, 
the tree being hacked more frequently, but a much thinner chip 
being taken oft' than is required in the American practice, pre- 
serving all the time about the same width and same depth, so that 
at the end of five years it has reached a total height of twelve feet. 
From one to ten such faces are put on the pines, according to their 
size and age, and whether they are to be bled to death (gemmage a 
mort), in which event the timber will at once be utilized, or bled as 
long as the tree lives and an abundant flow of turpentine will per- 
mit {^gemmage a vie). 

These faces are worked only five years and then the tree is allowed 
to rest several years before new ones are put in. The new faces 
must be put in so that they will be four inches from any other 



*Au. Rep. Secretary Agr., Washiugton, D. C, 1892, p. 350. f/did. 



THE FKEXCH SYSTEM OF (iATHEKING TURPENTINE, 



99 



faces, in order that not enough of the inner hark and sap-wood will 
he removed at one time to kill the tree or seriously injure its life. 

ADVANTAGES OF THE FRENCH SYSTEM. 

The advantages of the French over the American system fall 
under two heads: (1). It tends more to protect the trees and pro- 
long their activity. (2). It gives a larger yield, raises the grade of 
the resinous products and lessens the cost of producing. 

RESULTS AS TO THE RELATIVE STRENGTH AND VITALITY OF THE TREES. 

Under the French system no "boxes" are cut to weaken the 
trunk and make it liable to blow down, and in which, sooner or 
later, rot begins and finally destroys the timber value of the stem. 
It is in this American "box," too, always filled or covered with 
inflammable resin while the face is being worked, that fires usually 
get a start on the tree. There is no limit to the number of new^ sets 
of narrow French faces which can be placed, while from the weak- 
ening caused by the boxes only a limited number of sets of them 
can be cut. There are trees in the canton of Cormeau (France) 
which have been worked for more than 200 years and show over 
fifty scars. The scars of the narrow faces, although they may be 
over twice as numerous, are more quickly covered over by the 
growth of new wood on both sides, since the cambium or genera- 
tive tissue just under the bark will have twice as many surfaces 
from which to develop. This enables a tree to more quickly 
regain its lost vitality, upon which the yield of resin largely 
depends. The shallow depth which the faces in the French prac- 
tice are cut, only one-third of an inch, does not injure the life 
process so much as the deeper cutting practiced in Amei'ica, which 
injures the growth of the tree about two-thirds, as is shown b}- a 
comparison of the thickness of individual rings of growth before 
and after boxing. 

The purpose the French management has in view is to both pre- 
serve and work the forests intended for the production of turpen- 
tine as long a time as possible without serious injury to tb.c trees, 



100 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



since it is a matter of both time and expense to grow a body of 
pines suitable for tapping. 

THE YIEI^D BY THE FRENCH SYSTEM LARGER IN QUANTITY AND BETTER IN 

QUALITY. 

B}^ using the cup for collecting the turpentine and moving it up 
each year, so that it will be just below the freshly hacked surface, 
a larger quantity of purer and hghter colored dip is gotten than 
would be possible under the American plan, and the material thus 
collected corresponds always to the virgin dip; it is very free from 
bark and makes an exceedingly high grade rosin. Under this 
arrangement there is very little scrape, the surface hacked that 
season being all that has scrape on it. The increased production 
in France by use of the cup method amounted to four pounds of 
spirits of turpentine and seven pounds of rosin from every 100 
pounds of crude turpentine, and besides there were no chips or 
trash of any kind in the crude material. The spirits of turpen- 
tine manufactured is of a better grade than that made from crude 
turpentine collected by the old method, being distilled'at a lower 
temperature and with less .heat, and all of the rosin, except a small 
proportion made from the scrape, is of a high grade. 

The value of a barrel of the crude turpentine collected by the 
cups is about one-fourth greater than that collected by the former 
system. By the cup method there is also a large saving in labor, 
both in scraping and dipping, and there is no loss of turpentine in 
dipping from a box to a bucket. 

RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS WITH THE FRENCH SYSTEM IN NORTH 

CAROLINA. 

During the season of 1894 a trial on a limited scale was made 
to test the merits of the French system and to ascertain by its 
direct application to the long-leaf pine the exact increase of tur- 
pentine collected by it above that yielded b}^ the American practice. 

In order to reduce to a minimum the chance of errors it was 
decided to conduct the experiments at three separate stations under 
direction of different persons. At two of these stations the tur- 
pentine was to be gotten from second-year boxes and at the third 



THE FRENCH SYSTEM APPLIED IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



101 



station it was intended to begin a trial with first-year or virgin 
boxes and continue the work here for several consecutive years to 
ascertain the comparative annual yield. 

Unfortunately in one set of the experiments with second-year 
boxes the value of the results was vitiated by reason of a considerable 
loss of turpentine from the receptacles' overflowing. The results 
in this case will not be considered. Careful and conscientious 
attention seems to have been given the third set by the person in 
charge, and the results seem to be of sufficient importance to be 
given in full. The superintendence of this work during the season 
was in charge of Mr. Singletery, of Bladenboro, N. C, and it was 
near this village that the experiment was conducted. 

The pines selected for tapping were in a grove with a medium 
density (about seven), and had an average circumference, breast 
high, of six feet nine inches. These were by no means the largest 
trees in this grove, but were selected on account of their vigor aud 
apparent healthiness. The soil was fair, being a moist sandy loam. 
The forest floor was poor, being covered with a heavy growth of 
wire-grass, broom grass and low huckleberries. This strip had not 
been burnt in several years, and since the locality was isolated, . 
being located in the neck of a small swamp, there was little likeli- 
hood that a fire would interfere in any way with the carrying out 
of the experiment. Boxes, usually two to a tree, had been cut in 
these trees in the previous spring and the trees "worked" for one 
season (1893), so that there were faces twenty inches in height on 
each tree. Those faces were from thirteen to fifteen inches broad. 
Six of these old boxes, with nearly southerl}^ aspects and with faces 
unshaded by surrounding shrubs, were chosen as suitable for our 
purpose. Above each of these old faces two narrower faces (each 
six inches broad) were begun side by side. This method of placing 
the narrow faces gave each pair of them nearly the same aspect, 
and since, so far as could be seen, they were under similar con- 
ditions and of the same breadth, the amount of resin which flowed 
from each should have been the same. Six pairs of these narrow 
contiguous faces were begun above the broad ones on as many 
different trees, care being always taken that both narrow faces of 
any one pair were of the same breadth. 



102 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



The surface of one narrow face of each pair was continuous with 
the surface of the face below, which w^as hacked during 1893, and 
the turpentine which exuded from the freshly chi|)ped surface of 
this narrow face was allowed to run down the entire surface of the 
old face into the box cut at the foot of the tree. 

Across the base of the other narrow face, which began at the 
upper edge of the old face, a metal gutter was driven into the 
wood. This gutter turned the turpentine into a metal cup which 
hung on a staple beneath it. Chipping was begun on these 
faces April 20th. Both of these narrow faces were hacked at the 
same time and the same number of chips were taken from each 
face, so that the length of both faces was kept equal. Both the 
metal receptacles and the boxes were emptied six times during the 
running season. The turpentine taken from the boxes was such 
yellow dip as is commonly collected from second-year boxes. The 
grade of the turpentine collected in the metal cups was virgin 
dip, exceedingly free from bark, leaves and chips. It will be 
understood, from the fact that each of the narrow faces had a 
breadth of only six inches, that from the six faces in either set 
there should have exuded only about as much turpentine as is 
usually collected from three of the large-size faces, fourteen inches 
broad. 

The net weight of the turpentine collected by all of these boxes 
was 21 pounds; the net weight of that collected by the cups was 
24 pounds and a few ounces; that is, by the use of the cups 
there was a gain of one-seventh in the weight of the dip collected; 
or had the faces been as broad as they are usually made there would 
have been during the summer a gain of one pound to each face. 
The yield of 7 pounds to a box from these picked trees is about 
one-fifth more than the average yield, wliich is only between 5.5 
and 6 pounds to a second-year box. How^ever, this is immaterial. 
What w^e are after is the percentage of the increased jneld collected 
in the metal cups above that of the boxes. This increase was 
about 15 per cent, in favor of the cups. The application of this 
to a crop of turpentine would mean considerable aggregate gain 
and would show more clearly how large the gain really is. 

Working out the increased yield on this basis, i. e., one j)Ound 



Tin: FRENCH SYSTEM APrLIED IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



103 



to each box, there would be a gain of 10,000 pounds of dip to a 
crop of 10,000 boxes, or a gain of 35.8 barrcLs of dip above the 
250 barrels which 10,000 boxes would have produced had each 
box yielded 7 pounds; or there would be gotten, instead of the 
250 barrels of yellow dip from the boxes, 285.8 barrels of virgin 
dip by use of the cups. The difference in the amount of scrape 
yielded by the two systems was not near so large as the difference 
in the amount of dip. This difference, of course, was in favor of 
the boxes and amounted to less than two pounds from all six of 
the boxes. This loss of a pound or more was due to the loss of 
volatile oil by evaporation and loss of scrape which hardened on 
the old faces. This difference in favor of the boxes would amount 
in a crop to nearly 23.5 barrels of scrape. 

The advantage in favor of the cups, however, lays not only in 
the increased yield in pounds of turpentine, but also in the higher 
grade of product obtained by the cups. The value of the entire 
yield of a crop of 10,000 boxes as determined above would amount, 
at present prices, to about one-fifth more if collected by the cup 
than if collected in the boxes. This difference in value would be 
distributed as follows: 

Value of 285.8 barrels of virgin dip at $1.70 per barrel, $ 485 00 

Value of 250 barrels of yellow dip at |1.50 per barrel | 375 00 

And value of larger yield of 23.5 barrels of scrape at 

11.10 per barrel 26 00 401 00 

Difference in favor of cups I 84 00 

There is an increase in value amounting to |84, or over 20 per 
cent, gain, even when the cups are substituted in the place of 
second-year boxes, and the rate of increase in value of products 
becomes larger each succeeding year. 

As in the other experiment both cups and boxes were tried on 
first-year faces, of the same length, no difference is expected in the 
result in favor of either system. It was intended, when this experi- 
ment w^as begun, to move the cups, at the middle of the season, 
up to the top of the face which had at that time been chipped. 
This should have yielded, in the cups, a slightly larger amount of 
dip turpentine than was collected in the boxes, and the grade of 



104 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODLXTS. 



that in the cups should have been higher, since the dip turpentine 
collected from first-year boxes is usually classed as yellow dip for 
the last dippings of the season. 

It is expected that these experiments will be continued next season 
(1895) on a larger and even commercial scale to make a further test 
of their adaptability. This will include a test of the cheapest and 
most serviceable collecting cups, the best breadth to make the faces, 
and a trial of different materials for making gutters to ascertain 
their durability and strength. The use of materials with mini- 
mum cost and maximum utility will of course determine the com- 
mercial practicability of the s^^stem and it is these subjects which 
it is hoped will be thoroughly investigated during the next year. 

The incomplete results from another experimental trial, in which 
the cups, on first-year faces, were, at the middle of the season, 
moved up so as to be at the top of the face which had so far been 
cut, show a gain in the number of pounds of dip collected even 
larger than that obtained in the preceding trial. As no scrape was 
collected in this trial, from a misunderstanding with the person in 
charge, the weight of the scrape cannot be included. It can be 
said, however, that there was a large difference in the amount of 
scrape on the two sets of faces, much the larger amount of scrape 
having settled on the faces with boxes. 

There were twelve faces in each set, the arrangements being- 
similar to those stated in the above experiment, except that these 
faces were broader — from 7 to 7 J inches — and instead of the faces 
being cut in pairs, one of each kind, they were placed two on each 
tree without regard to their aspect. The net weight of the tur- 
pentine collected from the twelve boxes was 50J pounds, and the 
weight of that collected from the cups was 59 pounds, which gives 
a net yield in favor of the cups of pounds, or a gain of over 
16 per cent. Xo difference in the grades was noticed in the tur- 
pentine, both being classed as virgin dip. 

COST OF ADOPTING THE FRENCH SYSTEM. 

The cost of the change from the old French method to the mod- 
ern Hugues system was stated by Desnoyers (chief forest guard of 
the national forests of France) to be about one cent a year for each 



thp: FRf:xcH sy<ti-:m ai'I'liki) ix xdkth ( akolina. Id") 



tree. To change from the Arncrican to tlie Hugue.< system it would 
not cost that much, for the cutting and cornering of the boxes, 
allowing two boxes to a tree and 1.4 cents for the cost of each box, 
amounts to nearly three cents for each tree the first year: and by 
the American practice one-fourth of the total yield of turpentine 
for six years is obtained during the first year. In tlie French 
orchards, on the other hand, the yield is very nearly tlie same for 
each year. The cups, which are made of glazed earthenware, have 
a hole near the upper rim wdiich can be slipped over a hook or 
staple driven in the tree. Thick galvanized iron makes better 
gutters than zinc, as the former stands driving better and is much 
less injured by atmospheric influences. It is cut in strips four 
inches long and one and one-half inches Avide. nne of the longer 
.sides being cut oblir|uely to the .surface so that it can be ea.-ily driven 
into the sap-wood of the pine. 

The above-mentioned facts concerning the tapping of the pine 
in France are taken from Samano's Treatise on the CuU"rr' of the 
Maritime Pine: Desnoyers" Tapping of the Maritime Pine; Prof. L. 
Boppe's Forestry, and The Xaval Store Industry in the Report of the 
Chief of the Division of Forestry in the U. S. Department of Agri- 
culture for 1892. This last mentioned jjublication has a very clear 
and concise account of the different methods of tapping, with the 
advantages and disadvantages of the different systems, and is well 
illustrated. It can probably be obtained free of charge by any one 
desiring to know more of the merits of the Hugues system and the 
condition of the naval store industry in other parts of the United 
States and in foreign countries. 



7 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE LUMBER INDUSTRY IN EASTERN NORTH 
CAROLINA. 

HISTOEICAL SKETCH. 

Until within the past two decades the production of lumber in 
eastern North Carolina, except for local use, had been small, owing 
to the great distance from general markets and the limited demand 
for the liard pines. Wilmington, as early as the middle of the 
last century, had considerable trade in long-leaf pine lumber with 
the AVest Indies and Eugland, and this trade continued in a lim- 
ited way until the first part of the present century, when with the 
use of steam in sawing the output was largely increased. Mr. 
James Sprunt, in his Inform at ion Concerning Wilmington, N. C," 
says that the first steam saw-mill established in Wilmington was 
erected on the western side of the Cape Fear riyer by a person 
named Mazerretti in the year 1818. 

For a great many years after this AVilmington had a large and 
growing trade in lumber with the West Indies, but of late years 
the competition of Sayannah, Mobile and Pensacola, which are 
much nearer to these islands, has preyented any farther expansion 
of the industry in that direction. Wilmington has always had a 
large trade in lumber with the Middle and New England States, 
wdiere the long-leaf pine has been largely used in ship-building, etc. 

In the last few years, owing to the increased demand for Southern 
hard pine, the number and capacity of the mills at Wilmington 
haye been more than doubled. The logs for supplying this demand 
come from the counties along the Cape Fear, Black and North East 
riyers and their tributaries, along which lie well-timbered cypress, 
long-leaf pine and loblolly pine lands. The territory drained by 
these streams is about 5,000 square miles, oyer one-fourth of which 
area is timbered with long-leaf pine that can be floated to Wil- 
mington. 

As early as 1830 both Newbern and Washington had large trades 
in long-leaf pine lumber with foreign ports, mostly in the West 



TlIK LIM15KK IXDrSTHV IX KASTKRX NORTH CAKOLIXA. 107 

ludies. By 1860, liowever, owing to the exhaustion of tlie long- 
leaf pine in these sections, their trade had ceased, and since that 
time these points have heconie centers for the production of lob- 
lolly pine lumber. 

Loblolly Pixe ix the Timber Market. — As the supply of 
long-leaf pine became exhausted north of the Neuse river other 
pines were used in its place, the short-leaf pine being the next used 
iind then the loblolly. In many sections these latter have always 
been the only pines available for building materials. 

It is only within the past thirty years, however, that the loblolly 
pine has entered the general market in the form of lumber, being- 
debarred, previous to that time, because of the fact that so large a 
proportion of it is sap wood. If used where exposed to the weather 
it decayed rapidly, and when used for interior work had to be 
painted, since it ''blued" badly. The introduction of dry kilns, 
T\'hich enabled the sap to be thoroughly driven from the timber 
-and the wood perfectly dried, has given it a wide range of uses. 
Now there is a steady demand for it, as it is extensively used for 
flooring, ceiling and other interior wood-work, and also for exterior 
^vork, for which latter use it is suitable only when thoroughly dried 
-and painted. In the Northeastern States it is being used as a sub- 
stitute for white pine and spruce, and as the better grades of these 
become scarcer and consequently more valuable the demand there 
for loblolly pine lumber increases and the uses to which it is put 
become more varied. 

Since this is the chief timber tree over a large part of the State, it 
has been used for many years, in the section where it is the 
-only pine, for building and fencing material. For these domestic 
uses only the largest stocks, and those with the most heart, were 
selected. For the manufacture of kiln-dried flooring and ceiling, 
however, those trees are preferred which have the least heart, since 
the sap wood furnishes a lumber more uniform in quality and color 
than the heart. Lumber made from the sap wood is also lighter 
than that from heart wood and the cost of transportation is less. 
It is marked in the New England and Middle States where it is 
sold under the name of "North Carolina pine," ''North Carolina 
sap pine," or "North Carolina kiln-dried pine." 



108 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



There has been a considerable increase in the vahie of loblollr 
pine stumpage since it has entered the general lumber market. 
Twenty years ago loblolly lands ranged in value from 50 cents to 
$1 per acre, according to situation in relation to transportation 
facilities and density of growth. Land similarly situated and 
timbered now sells from $1 to $5 an acre. Original growth lob- 
lolly lands will cut from 3,500 to 6,000 feet, board measure, to the 
acre; second growth from a third to a half less. 

STATISTICS OF THE LVMBER INDUSTRY. 

The statistics for this report on the saw-mill and forest industries^ 
of eastern North Carolina were collected in connection with an 
investigation of the timber lands of this section, which has just 
been completed. It is intended more to show the condition of the 
various branches of the lumber and allied industries, in respect to 
output and supply, than to give a general treatment of the different 
departments of the aggregated interests. In this connection there 
are but imperfect statistics for comparison, these being chiefly esti- 
mates prepared for lumber journals. 

The area treated of embraces forty-three counties, which constitute 
the original " long-leaf pine belt" of North Carolina and to which, 
according to the U. S. Census of 1880, four-fifths of the milling 
interests of the State were at that time confined. In this enumera- 
tion are contained the products of all saw-mills and planing-mills, 
whether operated in connection with saw-mills or as distinct estab- 
lishments, excepting entirely local planing-mills and door, sash 
and blind factories connected with these or distinct. There are in 
this section ten such local planing-mills and blind factories, which 
have an output with an estimated value of between |100,000 and 
$250,000 per annum. In spite of the fact that the latter half of 
the year 1893 was an era of business depression, and consequently 
there was a curtailed output, there is a marked increase shown in 
the value of the output of 1893 over that of both 1890 and 1880, 
according to the census reports for those years. 

The value of rough and remanufactured lumber, including 
shingles, produced in this ''long-leaf pine belt" of North Carolina 



THi-: i.r.Mr.KK industry in eastern Nojrrii Carolina. 109 



for the year ending December 31, 1893, was about |4,559,0()0. 
For the cen.^us year 1880 it was $1,340,000, and for the census 
year 1890 it was, for the entire State, $5,767,687. 

The output for 1893 came from 323 lumber-mills, including 
.^hingle-mills, with an aggregate capital of $4,690,000. The capital 
reported by the census, for the entire State, in 1890 was $5,319,- 
-500, invested in 688 establishments. 

The capital engaged respectively in the manufacture of shingles 
and board cannot be separated, since the manufacture of shingles 
is largely engaged in by mills producing other lumber products. 
The number of mills engaged in the manufacture of lumber was 
281, with an output in 1893 of 455,865,000 feet, board measure, 
valued at about $3,745,000. The number of shingle-mills was 65 
(42 exclusively shingle-mills), with an output of 166,180,000 
shingles, valued at about $813,280. 

OUTPUT OF J.UMBER AND SHINGI.ES. 

The output of lumber and shingles and the capacity of the lum- 
ber and shingle-mills in operation in each county for the year 
^'uding December 31, 1893, w'as as follows: 



110 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 
Output of Lumber and Shingles, Eastern North Carolina, 1893. 



Counties. 



Bladen 

Bertie 

Beaufort 

Brunswick .... 

Camden 

Carteret 

Chowan , 

Craven 

Columbus 

Cumberland ... 
tCurrituck .... 

Dare 

Duplin 

Edgecombe.... 

Gates 

Green ., 

Halifax 

Harnett 

Hertford 

Hyde 

Johnston 

Jones 

Lenoir 

Martin 

Montgomery.. 

Moore 

I Nash 

New Hanover 
Northampton. 

Onslow 

Pamlico 

Pasquotank.... 
Perquimans .. 

Pitt 

Pender 

Robeson 

Richmond 

Sampson 

Tyrrell 

Washington .. 

Wake 

Wayne 

Wilson 



o 
6 
9 
6 
11 
5 
5 

5 
7 
5 

18 

10 
3 

30 
6 
8 
5 
3 
7 

13 
6 

10 

5 

12 
12 

9 
3 
6 
9 
6 



Totals. 



323 



Lumber. 



Output in 
1893, in feet, 
board 
measure. 



2,800,000 
1,940,000 
28,350,000 
*2, 000, 000 
4,500,000 
6,700,000 
24,400,000 
46,700,000 
13,400,000 
10,500,000 



-2,000,000 
1,800,000 
^2,850,000 
2,700,000 
2,300,000 
*8, 000, 000 
6,800,000 
3,800,000 
6,900,000 
-"7,600,000 
2,200,000 
20,300,000 
19,500,000 
2,300,000 
32,320,000 
3,550,000 
36,000,000 
^5,800,000 
14,500,000 
11,700,000 
22,500,000 
4,900,000 
7,000,000 
900,000 
14,700,000 
12,000.000 
1,670,000 
4,500,000 
34,500,000 
6,000,000 
8,600,000 
1,500,000 



Yearly ca- 
pacity in 
1893, ill feet 
board 



5,400,000 
5,000,000 
35,000,000 
3,500,000 
6,000,000 
8,000,000 
30,000,000 
53,500,000 
24,000,000 
18,000,000 



4,005,000 
3,000,000 
4,000,000 
4,500,000 
5,000,000 
14,000,000 
8,500,000 



10,000,000 
13,000,000 

3,000,000 
25,000,000 
30,000,000 

3,000,000 
49,000,000 

4,800,000 
48,000,000 

8,000,000 
16,000,000 
15,800,000 
30,000,000 

7,000,000 
10,000,000 

1,500,000 
18,300,000 
17,500,000 

3,800,000 

6,000,000 
40,000,000 
10,000,000 
10,000,000 

2,800,000 



452,880,000 | 625,000,000 



Shingles. 



Output in 
in 1893. 



159,180,000 



Yearly 
capacity in 
shingles, 
1893. 



Q 500 000 
3,000,000 
4,000,000 


5 000 000 

5,000,000 
6,000,000 


1 300 000 


4 000 000 


3 000 000 
12,300,000 
15 100 000 


4 lOO 000 

^ ,fJ\J\J ,\J\J\J 

15,800,000 
9 ^ noo 000 






6,000,000 


10,000,000 


1,500,000 
780,000 
1,500,000 


3,500,000 
1,600,000 
2,200,000 






2,500,000 
3,000,000 


4,500,000 
4,000,000 


3,700,000 
8,200,000 
15,000,000 


2,000,000 
13,000,000 
19,000,000 


1,900,000 


4,700,000 


1,500,000 


1,500,000 




3,000,000 
800,000 

23,000,000 
3,900,000 
4,500,000 
4,800,000' 
7,000,000 
3,300,000 
950,000 
9,000,000 

32,000,000 
2,800,000 
1,800,000 




19,500,000 
3,000,000 
3,000,000 
3,300,000 
4,000,000 
1,700,000 
400,000 
7,000,000 

27,200,000 
2,000,000 
300,000 



208,150,000 



The figures show the quantity of lumber manufactured in each county rather than the amount 
cut in each. In .some cases logs were carried to large mills from several adjoining counties, and 
are here credited to counties where sawn. 

*Partly estimates made by lumbermen. fNo reports made. % Mills destroyed before the end of 
the year. § Reports incomplete. 



TJIE LUMBER INDUSTRY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. Ill 



The output is at least one-tenth less than if would have been 
under normal trade conditions, since 107 mills, with an output of 
230,000,000 feet, board measure, reported an average idleness of 
seven weeks. Many mills also that did not shut down consider- 
ably reduced their output during a part of the year. The unprece- 
dented freeze during the month of January, 1893, caused many 
mills dependent upon the water-courses for their supply or opera- 
tion to shut down for several weeks. The output would otherwise 
have been over 500,000,000 feet. 

In the preceding statement the output for the respective counties 
does not necessarily mean that the timber was produced in them, 
but merely that it was manufactured in these counties. Camden, 
Chow^an and Perquimans counties now produce but a small pro- 
portion of the timber manufactured in them ; it comes from Bertie, 
up the Chowan river, and the counties lying on the southern side 
of Albemarle sound. 

The proportion of timber produced by individual counties is 
more nearly represented by a subsequent table showing the amounts 
of timber and timbered lands held by logging and milling com- 
panies in each county, though there are given no actual figures of 
the production of timber by counties. There are only a few towns 
in the State which have a large annual output, the mills in gen- 
eral being scattered through the timbered districts. 

The relative rank, capital invested, yearly capacity, output and 
value of output of the three producing points, for 1893, were as 
follows : 



Capital, Ouiput, etc., at Different Lumber Marketi^ in Eastern Nortli Carolina, 1893. 



Towns. 


Rank. 


No. of es- 
tablish- 
ments. 


Capital. 


Output for 
1893, feet, 
board meas- 
ure. 


Yearly ca- 
pacity. 


Value of out- 
pat, 1893. 


Wilmington 

NewbernJ 

Washington 


1 

2 
3 


8 
9 
7 


$530,000^1 36,000,000 
385,000 1 38,000,000 
165,000 21,000,000 


48,000,000 
51,000,000 
27,000,000 


$425,0001 
350,000 
188,000 



*Not full, partly based on a bulletin of the U. S. Census of 1890. 
tPartly taken from the custom-house records of Wilmington. 
Ilncludes James City, a village on the oppo.site side of the Trent river. 



112 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODFOTS. 



The apparent disproportiou between capital and value of output 
in the various statements is due to the different extent to which 
remanufacturing is carried at different places. Wilmington, too, 
largely increased during 1893 the capital engaged therein milling, 
but not sufficiently early in the year to increase the output in like 
ratio. The output of no shingle-mills or remanufacturing establish- 
ments except such as are connected with lumber-mills is included 
in the above. Elizabeth City and Edenton, with twelve mills, had 
a combined output of 38,000,000 feet, board measure, and 21,000,000 
shingles. The shingles made in these places were largely from 
juniper or white cedar; the lumber was chiefly made from the lob- 
lolly pine. All except a small part of the output of Wilmington 
was from long-leaf pine, that of Newbern and Washington was 
largely loblolly pine, less than five per cent, being long-leaf. The 
Aberdeen district in Moore county, and the western part of Cum- 
berland county produced in 1893 over 31,000,000 feet of long-leaf 
pine. 

r^UMBER PRODUCT FROM DIFFERENT SPECIP:S OF TREES. 

The output in eastern North Carolina, 1893, of lumber and 
shingles was distributed according to kind of tree as follows: 

Lumber Product from Biferent Kinds of Trees, 1893. 



Kind of Timber. 



Lumber, thou- 
sand feet, 
board measure. 



Loblolly pine* 

Long-leaf pine 

Cypress 

Juniper (white cedar). 

Ash 

Yellow poplart 



288,090 
148,600 
6,275 
6,300 
5,000 
2,400 



Shingles. 



10,300,000 
111,680,000 
44,200,000 



*The savanna and short-leaf pine were sawn along with the loblolly and not distinguished from 
it, so there was no way of getting any accurate information about the quantity of these that was 
sawn. The savanna pine formed a largepart of the material sawn at some mills in the extreme east, 
but there was no appreciable amount of short-leaf pine sawn except along the western boundary 
of the pine belt. Loblolly pine was reported as being sawn in thirty-three counties, and in twenty 
of these no long-leaf pine was sawni. Long-leaf pine was sawn in twenty-one counties and entirely 
sav/n to the exclusion of the loblolly pine in six counties. The counties which produced the most lob- 
lolly pine were Beaufort, Bertie, Columbus, Craven, Dare, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Jones, Lenoir, 
Martin, Onslow, Perquimans and Washington. Those which produced the most long-leaf pine 
were Cumberland. Moore, Richmond, Sampson and Robeson counties. 

flucluditig small quantities of persimmon, sweet-gum, oak and dogwood. 



THE LUMBER JNDl^STKV IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 113 



Of the above amounts of lumber sawn there were 138,420,000 
feet reman u fa ctu red at the mills, of which 101,420,000 feet were of 
loblolly pine and 37,000,000 feet were long-leaf pine. Besides this 
it is estimated that there were 45,000,000 feet of both kinds remanu- 
factured at separate establishments in Moore, Richmond and Per- 
quimans counties. 

The amount of lumber used locally, including that shipped to 
other points in North Carolina, was 79,200,000 feet, of which 
52,000,000 feet was long-leaf pine lumber. It seems that long-leaf 
pine lumber is much more widely used in the State than that made 
from the loblolly pine. This is because the long-leaf pine timber 
lasts so much longer than that of other pines when used in exposed 
situations, as is generally the case in this State. Most of the lob- 
lolly pine used in North Carolina is sawn in the counties where it is 
used. What is exported goes to the Northeastern States, about the 
same amount going by rail as by water. The long-leaf pine lum- 
ber, except that from Wilmington, goes to Virginia, Pennsylvania, 
and other interior States. That from Wilmington goes to coast- 
wise ports and to the West Indies. 

I.UMBER vSHIPMENTS FROM WILMINGTON. 

The total shipments of lumber, the foreign exports and th^ value 
of the latter, from Wilmington for the years 1873, 1883 and each 
year of the past decade were as follows: 



Quantitij and Value of Lumber Shipped f rom WUmington, 1873- 93. 



Year. 


^Total 
ship- 
ments of 
lumber, 
feet, b. m. 


fTotal for- 
eign ex- 
ports of 
lumber, 

feet, b. m. 


fValue of 
foreign 

exports of 
lumber. 


Year. 


^Total 
ship- 
ments of 
lumber, 
feet, b. m. 


fTotal for- 
eign ex- 
ports of 
lumber, 

feet, b. m. 

13,019,000 
10,695,000 
13,824,000 
17,532,000 
12,224,000 
13,244,000 


fValue of 
foreign 

exports of 
lumber. 


1873 
1883 
1884 
1885 
1886 
1887 


19,517,768 
40,281,158 
37,076,042 
35,956,829 
39,512,249 


6,920,171 
9,074,077 
15,319,000 
14,912,000 
9,053,000 
lia90,000 


! 

232,537 
238,983 
145,968 
174,121 


1888 41,067,686 

1889 36,679,509 

1890 40,289,205 

1891 40,065,567 

1892 ! 29, 580, 160 

1893 '25,874,331 


$190,681 
172,487 
212,094 
287,448 
174,446 
175,699 



*From the records of the Wilmington Board of Trade. For the compilation of these figures and 
others obtained from these records the Survey is indebted to Col. J. L. Cantwell, Secretary of the 
Wilmington Board of Trade. These figures indicate the number of feet in board measure. 

fFrom the custom-house records. 



114 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



PRODUCTION AND EXPORT OF SHINGI.ES. 

The greater part of the sawn cypress shingles, and all of the 
first-class white cedar (juniper) shingles manufactured in the State, 
have been exported. The greater part of the pine shingles have 
been used locally. Wilmington was the only point in the State 
that has shipped any shingles to foreign ports. It also had a large 
domestic trade. The total exports of shingles from Wilmington, 
the foreign exports, and the value of the foreign exports for the 
years 1873, 1883, and each year of the past decade are shown by 
the following table: 



QiKOititii and ]^(ihir <if Slii/tf/Irs Exportt <] from Wdnuur/ton, 1S7S-93. 



Year. 


Total Exports. 


Domestic Ex- 
ports. 


Foreign Exports. 


Value of For- 
eign Exports. 


1873 


6,338,836 


3,960,580 


2.378.256 




1883 


6,635,851 


4,748,951 


1,88().900 




1884 


10,140,707 


6,510,707 


3,630,000 


18,936 


1885 


7,191,335 


3,894,335 


3,297,000 


18,936 


1886 


9,265,560 


7,677,560 


1,589,000 


8,749 


1887 


5,726,453 


3,499,453 


2,227,000 


11,750 


1888 


6,663,950 


2,622,950 


4,041,000 


21,125 


1889 


7,316,912 


3,593,912 


3,723,000 


17,946 


1890 


8.t>35.0fU 


5, 305,0 ( U 


3,630,000 


19.249 


1891 


; 5.;t5S.."Si>() 


3,. 732,520 


2.226.000 


12,930 


1892 


10,274,329 


7,358,329 


2,916,000 


15,519 


1893 


18,167,500 


6,314,500 


1,853,000 


9,806 


Much the larger part of the shingles 


shipped from 


AVilmington 



are hand-drawn or rived cypress shingles. These are made entirely 
in the surrounding counties, especially those along the Cape Fear 
river. The making of drawn shingles, both from cypress and long- 
leaf pine, is an industry that has rapidly declined during the past 
decade. Estimates given by shingle dealers at Wilmington, Xew- 
bern and Washington, and smaller places along the seaboard, show 
a falling off in the production of one-half or more since 1880. 
This falling off is largely due to the fact tliat the supply of the 
best quality of cypress which could be easily reached in the swamps 
has been in a measure exhausted. The number of rived pine and 
cypress shingles estimated to have been made last year (1893) was 
22,800,000, valued at about $55,000. 



THE LUMBER INDTSTKY IN EASTERN XORTJI CAROLINA. 115 
CAPITAL INVESTED IN THE LUMBER INDUSTRY. 

The capital reported as invested in milling was $4,690,()0(). 
This was engaged as follows : In milling plants, stock and live assets, 
§3,471,100; in timber lands, $817, 432; in railroads and rolling 
stock, $408,800. Seventy-four establishments reported that they 
owned or controlled 630,700 acres of timbered land. Of this 
298,700 acres were loblolly pine lands, 219,200 acres were white 
cedar (juniper) swamp, 89,800 acres cypress and gum swamps, and 
24,000 acres long-leaf pine lands. About 300,000 acres of this, 
including the cypress and white cedar land, is owned, and the rest 
is controlled for a limited number of years. 

The registers of deeds of ten counties reported $158,934 
invested in timber lands in their respective counties, by logging 
or milling companies of other States. This represented 114,995 
acres of land. The swamp land amounted to 51,230 acres and 
the loblolly pine lands to 63,765 acres. In this connection was 
also reported 20,000,000 feet of standing loblolly pine, valued at 
$22,000. This was situated in dates, Hertford and other north- 
eastern counties. Bulletin Xo. 5 of the U. S. Census of 1890 
reported 111,418 acres of yellow pine and cypress land, wuth an 
estimated total product of 953,770,000 feet, board measure, of 
merchantable timber, and a value of $346,885, to be owned in North 
Carolina by milling establishments located in Michigan and Wis- 
consin. 

The $408,800 invested in railroads and rolling stock represents 
eighteen roads, w^ith 194 miles of track and their necessarv equip- 
ment. Besides this there are eight railroads exclusively or largely 
engaged in handling lumber and timber, which had 96 miles of 
track, and were taxed in 1893 on a valuation of $256,300. 

The capital reported as invested by millmen in lumbering does 
not by any means represent the total amount of capital engaged 
directly or indirectly in milling. ' Forty-two establishments reported 
171,800,000 feet, board measure, of their logs as having been 
brought to the mills by outside capital. This is 31 per cent, of all 
the logs brought to the mills. The number of persons engaged in 
handling this timber, taking them to be 45 per cent, of those 
engaged in logging, in the employment of the mills, was 1,300. 



116 



FORESTS, KoilEST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



This, with the total number reported as employed by milling 
companies in logging, makes 2,800 engaged in this branch of the 
industry. The total number of hands reported as employed in the 
entire industry, in handling the material from the stump to the 
finished product, was 8,320. 

The rafting of timber to the mills is done by farm laborers during 
the dull seasons of the year. The price paid at the mills for this 
timber is from |3.75 to f5 a thousand feet, board measure, for 
loblolly pine, and from $3 to |6 for cypress and ash, according to 
the quality of the timber and situation of the mill. Long-leaf 
pine brings the same prices as loblolly pine. 

THE PRODUCTION OF I.UMBER IN NORTH CAROLINA IN 1893. 

Exports of Crude Lumber. — There were operating in North 
Carolina in 1893 three timber companies, with a capital of $40,000, 
reported as engaged in logging for establishments in other States. 
During the year 1893 there were exported by these and other logging 
and milling companies logs amounting to about 110,000,000 feet, 
board measure, to establishments in other States. This amount 
exported was nearly one-fourth the entire amount manufactured 
in the State. It consisted mostly of loblolly pine, with some 
cypress, and had an estimated value in raft in this State of |500,- 
000. It went out by way of the Chowan river, and through the 
Dismal swamp canals and partly by rail. This timber was manu- 
factured chiefly at Franklin, Whaleyville, Suffolk and in the 
vicinity of Norfolk, Va. Besides this there was exported 9,800 
cords of white cedar billets, valued at $62,000, chiefly to Philadel- 
phia, Richmond and Norfolk. This, however, cannot begin to 
represent the total amount shipped, since the white cedar was 
shipped in small amounts from a great many diff'erent places, so 
that but little knowledge could be gained from these sources about 
tlie amounts shipped and their value. 

Recent Growth of the Lump>er Industry. — An endeavor was 
made to ascertain the increase of capital invested in milling and the 
increase in output since 1890, and also to find the amount of increase 
during 1893. While the number of new plants erected since 1890 
was gotten, the capital invested in those that had stopped run- 



TITK Ll'MBEK IXDISTKY IX KASTERN NOKTJI CAROLINA. 117 



iiiiig or indefinitely saspended, and their annual output, could 
not be accurately ascertained. The following table represents, 
however, very nearly the increase since 1890 in capital, annual 
shingle and board capacity for mills sawing long-leaf and loblolly 
pine and cypress lumber: 



Increase Since 1S90 In Capital and Productive ('ajjocit// oj Liiiuhrr MiUs. 



! 


Xew Estab- 1 
lishments. 


Capital In- 
vested. 


Board Ca- ; 
pacity, 
in feet. 


Capacity 
in Shingles. 


Long-leaf pine 


18 
14 


81,011,300 
73,000 


85,000,000 
28,000,000. 


38,000,000 
2,000,000 


Totals 


32 


81,084,300 


113,000,000 


40,000,000 



It was also ascertained that in this same time about twenty 
plants, with an annual output of 25,000,000 feet, had ceased run- 
ning. The above increase in loblolly pine mills lay largely in 
"Washington, Onslow, Martin, Lenoir, Halifax, Craven, Colum- 
bus and Xew Hanover counties, and in long-leaf mills in Moore, 
Xash and Cumberland counties. 

The total increase in capital for the year 1893 was |392,000, 
and in yearly capacity was 46,000,000 feet. 

There was besides this an increase for 1893 of twenty miles of 
logging railroad, valued, with the rolling stock, at |80,000. 

MISCELLAXEOrS WOOD-WOKKIXG INDUSTRIES. 

There are several minor industries in eastern Xorth Carolina 
Avhich are largely or entirely dependent upon timber for their 
products and which annually consume large amounts of timber or 
wood. 

One of the most important of these industries is that engaged 
in the manufacture of cooperage. The stock establishments engaged 
in the manufacture of cooperage in North Carolina during 1893 
are situated chiefly in the eastern part of the State, and included 
three barrel factories making truck barrels and boxes, with an 
output of 53,000 barrels and 1,790,000 staves, valued at §22,000; 
two bucket factories using white cedar; and a great number of 



118 FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 

small cooperage concerns engaged in making casks for spirits tur- 
pentine from oak, and barrels for rosin and crude turpentine from 
pine. The barrels for truck were made partly from pine "slabs," 
with wire hoops, and partly from black-gum staves with cypress 
hoops and yellow poplar heads. 

Besides this there was a large amount of cooperage material, 
staves, headings and hoops, manufactured in Washington, Dare 
and other north-eastern counties from cypress and white cedar. 
The census for the year 1890 reports that there were that year 
eighty-three establishments manufacturing cooperage in Xorth 
Carolina, with a capital of $34,542 and an output valued at 
$111,925. 

There are a number of special manufactories in the State, includ- 
ing veneer works, spoke and handle factories, etc., using nothing 
but wood in the manufacture of their products, or largely dependent 
on wood. The character and extent of these manufacturing estab- 
lishments and the practicability of increase in the State will be 
made the subject of a special Bulletin to be published by the Sur- 
vey at an early date. 

PRODUCTION OF TIMBER OTHER THAN MILL TIMBER. 

"Ton Timber." — The forests of eastern North Carolina once 
furnished a large quantity of very valuble pine stocks of excep- 
tionally large size and superior quality, under the name of "ton 
timber," which were used in naval architecture, and for other pur- 
poses requiring extra large strong timbers. These stocks came 
from both the loblolly and long-leaf pines, the former furnishing 
the longest and largest pieces. The finest trees for these uses have 
been removed wherever accessible, and though some of these stocks 
are still gotten out each year their size is not so large and their 
quality is not so high as formerly. 

During recent years the largest of these stocks have come from 
up the Cape Fear river, being that growth of loblolly known as 
rosemary pine. They are procured here and there, only a few at 
a place, in separate localities, by a number of contractors, so that 
reliable information as to the amount of production could not be 
obtained. However, at least 20,000 feet, scale measure, were 



THE LUMJiKR INDl'STKY IN EASTERN NOllTH CAROLINA. 119 

exported last year to coastwise and to European ports. A larger 
<|uantity of this timber was shipped from Wilmington than from 
any other point. 

Railroad Ties. — One of the most constant demands for the 
best heart pine and young white and post oaks is for making rail- 
road cross-ties. The eastern part of this State not only furnishes 
all the timber required for the construction and maintenance of its 
own lines of railroads, but annually exports several thousand cross- 
ties to other States. There are about 400,000 cross-ties required 
yearly to maintain the existing lines of railroad. Of these 400,000 
ties about one-half are all-heart long-leaf pine, and average about 
7J feet long by 9 inches broad and 6 inches thick, each containing 
about 3 cubic feet of wood. The oak ties are larger, especially 
broader, and are being used more than formerly. There are some 
cypress and a few white cedar ties in use, and on some roads lob- 
lolly pine ties are used. The average price paid for hewn ties is 
about 22 cents each. As near as could be ascertained there were 
22,000 white cedar and cypress, and 30,000 pine ties, exported 
during the year 1893. 

Telegraph Poles, etc. — These are cut from both cypress and 
white cedar woods. About 7,000 poles are annually required for 
use in this State, and besides this about 12,000 white cedar tele- 
graph and electric light poles, valued at about |27,000, were 
shipped during 1893. The requirements for such white cedar 
poles usually are that they shall have few knots in them, and very 
few are cut under 14 inches in diameter at the larger end, so that 
the finest stocks are required to make them. It would be advisable 
for more care to betaken of juniper "bays" and swamps after they 
have been lumbered. Their soil is generally too peaty to be used 
for agricultural purposes, so that the only real use to which these 
lands can be put is to let grow on them the young white cedar left 
after they are cut over. Precaution should be taken to prevent 
these swamps from being burnt over, during dry seasons, as the 
forest fires not only destroy the young growth of white cedar, but 
also burn the thin layer of organic matter, consisting of sphagnum, 
peat and buried cedar logs, clear down to the sand subsoil, and 
thus destroy the possibility of a future supply of this timber. 



120 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



The Production OF Oak Staves. — From 1840 until 1880 there 
were annually made in the north-eastern counties many thousand 
white and red oak staves. During the last fifteen years, however, 
this industry has declined to a very small part of what it once was. 
Staves were very largely shipped from Beaufort county to the West 
Indies, prior to 1860. "Red oak staves" made from black, scarlet, 
water and Spanish oaks were preferred for this trade; while for the 
European trade, which went by way of Norfolk, New York or 
Baltimore, "white oak staves" were preferred. The latter were 
made from wdiite oak, post oak and overcup oak. Between 1868 
and 1880 the counties around Albemarle sound produced large 
numbers of staves, but the practical exhaustion of the best acces- 
sible oak has largely reduced their output. Nash county now pro- 
duces a considerable number of oak staves, and this is the only 
county in the eastern section of the State that does. Further west, 
however, large quantities of such staves are made in the upland oak 
forests which extend through the middle and western parts of the 
State to Tennessee. 

aggregate value of the forest products of eastern north 

carolina. 

The values of all the timber and lumber products of eastern 
North Carolina for 1893 may be said to have been as follows: 



Value of lumber, including sawn shingles $4,558,280 

" " round timber exported 562,000 

" " "tun" and hewn timber exported 12,000 

" " railroad ties produced 110,000 

" " telegraph and electric light poles 27,000 

" " hand-made shingles 55,000 

" " products of special manufactories (U, S. Census, 1890), 131,055 

" " cooperage products (IT. S. Census, 1890) 111,925 

Total 15,567,260 



To this amount can be added the value of all resinous products, 
which amounted, in 1893, to $1,752,760 ; and we have as the approxi- 
mate market value of the forest products for eastern North Caro- 
lina in 1893, 17,320,020. This does not show^ the real total value 
of the forest products of this section, since practically all the 



THE LUMBKK INDUSTRY IN EASTERN NORTH ( AKOLINA. 121 

fenciug material is wood, and over nine-tenths of the fences are 
made from rails manufactured on the farms and not included in 
the above amounts. Neither is there included in the above any of the 
hre-wood, which constitutes nearly all of the fuel used in this sec- 
tion, both for manufacturing and domestic purposes. The value 
of the fencing cut up, and the cord wood in piles, would amount 
to considerably over $4,500,000 a year, for the quantity of both 
consumed in eastern North Carolina, and this added to the value 
of the other products, makes an aggregate value of about |12,000,000 
for the forest products of this section, for one year. This makes 
the forest industry one of the largest in the State. The cotton crop 
of the entire State had in 1890 a value about equal to this amount. 

RECENT TIMBER DEVELOPMENTS, AND THE OUTLOOK. 

The tendency of the lumber industry in North Carolina is towards 
larger establishments, turning out at the mills as highly finished 
a product as possible, such as flooring, ceiling, moulding, etc. The 
wisdom of this course is fully sustained by the fact that there were 
in these eastern counties, in 1880, 306 establishments, which had 
an output valued at $1,340,000; while in 1893 there were only 
3.23 establishments, with an output of $4,559,000. There are now 
in operation nine band saws, five of which have been put in since 
1890; and the change from circular to band saws is being contem- 
plated by several other establishments, since there is a saving in 
them, not only of motive power, but also a great saving of timber. 

Most large mills which will be built in the future, at least those 
for sawing loblolly pine, will be furnished with band saws. 

The next ten years will probably show a much greater increase 
in milling than the past decade, and a very much larger develop- 
ment of the loblolly pine and hardwood industry. There are 
several counties in which the loblolly pine has as yet no commer- 
cial value, and in which it is only sawn in small quantities for local 
use. The fact that the mills using this kind of timber, and owning 
timber land, reported over 2,000,000,000 feet in sight, insures them 
sufficient material for many years to come. Besides this, the area 
still unlumbered and -not controlled by lumber men, must have 
at least twice as much standing timber on it as was reported by 
8 



122 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PEODFCTS. 



millmen for their lands. This does not include any regrowth 
which is now occupying areas already lumbered. 

USES OF THE IMPORTANT WOODS IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 

The long-leaf pine serves for more uses than any other tree of 
this section. Its largest uses are for heavy building material for 
houses, bridges, trestles and other places where great strength and 
length of timber are required : for tank plank, flooring, ceiling, 
weather-boarding, shingles, railroad cross-ties, and filing. Its 
special qualities as a wood are not yet sufficiently understood by 
consumei's, and it is put to a great many uses to which an inferior 
and weaker timber might as well be applied. Its use as tank 
plank is one to which it has only lately been extensively put, but 
one to which it is well adapted on account of its durability. It is 
extensively used for fencing and posts, and in tlie form of split 
rails, throughout all the south-eastern section of this State. 

The loblolly pine is manufactured chiefly into flooring and ceil- 
ing, and to some extent into scantling for frame work, bridge timber, 
etc. For the last uses the wood is not so well suited as that of 
the long-leaf pine, though it is extensively used when the long- 
leaf cannot be gotten. Railroad cross-ties are made from it in the 
north-eastern counties, but they decay rapidly, since the}^ are 
largely or entirely of sap wood, and are in contact with a soil 
unusually damp during the greater part of the year. 

The short-leaf and savanna pines have the same uses as the lob- 
lolly, though the wood of both trees is different from that of the 
loblolly. The lobloll}' pine is also largely used for fencing. 

The yelloiv poplar is manufactured into boards for box stufl', and 
some of the best quality of lumber into furniture squares. The 
poplar of the eastern swamps, however, is of an inferior quality 
when compared with that from the western part of the State, and 
can only be put to secondary uses. It makes excellent fencing. 

Ash is sawn into furniture squares, banister and newel post 
pieces, and some of the lower grades of wood into boards. Barrel 
hoops are extensiveh' made from it. Like the poplar its quality 
is not as high as the ash from the western counties. 

Whiie cedar (juniper) is now recognized as one of the most 



THE LUMBER INDUSTRY IN EASTERN NORTJI CAROLINA. 128 



valuable woods of the eastern rnited States, and decidedly the 
most valuable in the eastern })art of North Carolina, where it has a 
large and constantly increasing number of uses. It is employed 
for making cooperage ware, pails, tubs, railroad tank plank and 
boat plank, sliingles, sashes, railroad ties, telegraph and telephone 
poles and for fencing. All of these services to which it is put are 
based on the property it possesses of withstanding exposure to 
moisture, or alternate wetting and drying, and its small shrinkage. 
In this State it is also used in the manufacture of cheap furniture, 
and is said to be particularly suited for such, being easily worked, 
shrinking very little, and being light. 

Cypress is largely used for shingles, and in other ways in which 
white cedar is used. Besides, on account of its great size, wide 
paneling, wainscoting and building material, sashes, blinds, 
exterior mouldings, and other wood-work exposed to the weather, 
are made from it. The poorer quality wood, where it is worm- 
eaten and "peggy," is sawn into fence boards. 

The uses reported tor the other woods were very few, and indeed 
very little of them is being sawn. Some sweet-gwm is sawn into 
lumber for making furniture, but it warps so badly that it is dif- 
ficult, even when kiln-dried at once, to get good boards for ship- 
ment. A use for which it is well adapted is to make veneer ware, 
butter and lard dishes, crates, small baskets, etc., and it is being 
largely employed in such manufactures in the eastern section. 
For making the veneer, the gum logs are cut to a uniform length, 
steamed thoroughly to soften the wood, placed in a large turning 
lathe the chisel of which takes off a thin sheet of wood as broad 
as the log is long. The chisel is moved automatically nearer to 
the center of the log with each revolution of the latter to make the 
sheet taken off of a uniform thickness. These sheets are then cut 
to size and pressed or bent into the shape desired, and steam-dried 
to prevent any warping. 

The black-gum is being used for making staves and crates for use 
in trucking, for which uses manufacturers say it is well suited, not 
being heavy, and about the cheapest material that can be gotten. 

Several thousand feet of maple was reported by one company 
among their products as being sawn for use in finishing the interior 
of railroad cars. 



INDEX. 



PACiE. 

Acreage of loblolly pine 41 

merchantable loblolly 

pine 41 

Action necessary for forest pi'eserva- 

tion 71 

Andropogon tener 48 

virginicLis (51 

Area considered in report 14 

Aristida stricta 43 

Beaufort county 28, 110 

Bertie county....' 32, 110 

Big swamp 35 

Bladen county, 35, 45, 79, 8(3, 87, 89, 110 

Boxed pines, fertility of. 53 

often blown down by the 

wind-storms 92 

Boxing, x\merican system of. 94 

weakens the tree 92 

Broom grass 43 

Brunswick county, 24, 25. 49, 79, 86, 87, 

89, 110 

Camden county 30, 110 

Carteret county 27, 110 

Cashie creek 32 

Cedar, red, occurrence of 26 

white (juniper) 114, 123 

Census, U. S., statistics from, 65, 6(), 7(), 
78, 84, 108, 115 

Chatham county 39 

Chowan county^ 29, 110 

riyer 31 

Colonial turpentine products 73 

Columbus county, 25, 49, 79, 87, 89, 110 

Co ntentnea creek 33 

Crayen county 27, 89, 110 

Cronlv, J. M., information furnished 

by 82 

Crude turpentine (see turpentine). 
Cumberland county, 36, 47, 79, 86, 87, 

89, 90, 110 

Currituck county 30, 110 

Cypress. 17, 114, 123 

in Bertie county 32 

Bladen county 35 

Brunswick county 24 

Columbus county 25 

Crayen county 27 

Dismal swamp 30 

Duplin county 25 

Greene county 33 

Jones county 28 

Northampton 'county 38 

Onslow county 2(5 



PAGE. 

Cypress in Pamlico county 28 

peninsula 29 

Pender county 26 

Robeson county 35 

Sampson county 37 

lands ovyned by Michigan mill- 
men 66 

manufactures of 112 

mercJiantable 40, 42 

uses of 123 

Dare county 29, 110 

Decrease in nayal store products.. .76, 80 

turpentine production 80 

amount of standing pine..42 

Density of forests 65, 70 

Destination of nayal store exports 82 

Destruction of young pines 57 

Dismal swamp 30 

Distribution of pines 18 

Doyer swamp 27 

Dunes, sand, moying 23, 50 

Duplin county... 25, 50, 79, 86, 87, 89, 90, 

110 

Edgecombe county 33, 110 

Errata .' 128 

Exhaustion of forests 66 

turpentine orchards. ...90 
Exports of nayal stores from Wilming- 
ton ......81, 82, 84 

lumber from Wilmington, 

113, 114 

Fires, damage by 67, 90 

produce waste lands 51 

destroy pine seedlings. ...55, 57, 61 

Forest lands of Beaufort county 28 

Bertie county .32 

Bladen county 35 

Brunswick county 24 

Camden county 30 

Carteret county 27 

Chowan county 29 

Chatham county 39 

Columbus county 25 

Crayen county 27 

Cumberland county ...36 

Currituck county 30 

Dare county 29 

Duplin county 25 

Edgecombe county 33 

Gates county 31 

Greene county 32 

Halifax county 38 

Harnett county 36 



126 



INDEX. 



PAGIZ. ! 

Forest lands of Hertford county 81 

Hyde county 29 

Johnston county 34 

Jones county. 27 

Lenoir county 34 

Martin county 32 

Montgomery county . . .39 

Moore county * 37 

Nash county 39 

New Hanover county.. .36 
Northampton county, 38 

Onslow county 26 

Pamlico county 28 

Pamlico peninsula 29 

Pasquotank county 29 

Pender county 25 

Perquimans county 30 

Pitt county .32 

Richmond county 37 

Robeson county 34 

Sampson county 37 

Tyrrell county 29 

AVake county 39 

Washington county. ...29 

Wayne county 33 

Wilson county 33 

products of eastern North Caro- 
lina 120 

value of 12, 120 

regions 22 

Forestry, meaning of - - - 63 

in European countries 64 

Forests, cost of securing 60 

damages to by tire 11, 67, 90 

hogs 57 

exhaustion of 6() 

growth of in eastern North 

Carolina 14 

growth of pine barrens. ...14, 44 
investigation of bv the Sur- 
vey 9, 13 

necessity for 59, 64 

of Washington 65 

young growth of 61 

French system of tapping pines 96 

turpentine system, cost of 104 

experiments 
with.... 100 

Gates county 31 

Georgia pine 16 

Greene county 32 

Gums, black and sweet 25, 28, 123 

Halifax county 38 

Harnett county 36 

Hertford county 31 

Heart pine 16 

History of naval store industry 73 

lumber industry 106 

Hogs, pines destroyed by 57 

Holly Shelter swamp 26 

Hyde county 29 



PAGE. 

Increase of naval store industry 76 

Johnston county \ 34 

Jones county 27 

Juniper (see^ cedar) 17 

Kerr (W. C), quoted 50 

Kidder's (Edward) estimate of stand- 
ing pine, 1880 42 

Laborers employed in naval store in- 
dustry 78 

lumber indus- 
try 115, 116 

Lenoir county 34 

Live oak, occurrence of 15, 36 

Loblolly pine, cut per acre 41 

distribution of 20 

entire acreage of 41 

in each county (see sep- 
arate counties). 

lumber industrv 107 

names of 16, 107, 112 

rapidity of its growth... 41 

regions 23, 31 

stum page 108 

Long-leaf pine, destruction of. 55 

distribution of. 18 

enemies of. 56 

tires in 58 

forests, value of 69 

growth of seedling 56 

lumber industrv, his- 
tory of.... 106," 112, 117 

merchantable 42 

masts 61, 62 

names 16 

protection of 61 

rate of growth of 67 

seeding 53 

seedlings 55 

standing 42 

young growth of. 61 

Lumber industry, capital invested in, 115 

history of. 106 

increase of, 9, 116, 117, 
121 

statistics of. 108 

local consumption of 113 

production of in North Caro- 
lina 116 

shipments of from AVilming- 

ton 113 

Lutterlow (Thos.), referred to 77 

Martin county 32 

Masts, frequency of 62 

Merchantable long-leaf pine 42 

loblolly pine 41 

short-leaf pine 41 

timber in Eastern North 

Carolina 42 

Michigan millmen, southern timber 

lands owned by G6 

Mills, lumber (see lumber). 



INDEX. 



127 



l'A(iE. 

Milling statistics 115 

Montoomery county 

Moore county o7 

Mud swamps, growth in 15 

Nash county 39 

Naval stores, exi)orted from AVilming- 

ton 74 

history of industry 73 

statistics of 78, 79, 80 

production in North Car- 
olina 84 

uses of 68 

values of. 84 

Neuse river 33 ; 

Newbern, naval store industry at 76 i 

lumber industry at Ill 

New Hanover county 36 

Nomenclature of trees 16 I 

Northampton county 38 ! 

North Carolina pine 17, 107, 117 \ 

sap pine 17 | 

Pamlico county 28 : 

peninsula 29 

Pasquotank county 30 

Pee Dee river 37 

Pender county 25, 79, 86, 87, 89, 110 

Perquimans county 30 

Pine 16 

barren region 24, 34 

barrens 34 

management of. 63 

fires in 58 i 

lands owned by millmen 60, 115 [ 

loblolly (see loblolly pine), 
long-leaf (see long-leaf pine). 

Pinus australis (see long-leaf pine) 16 

echinata 17 

palustris (see long-leaf pine) 16 

serotina Csee savanna pine), 
taeda (see loblolly pine). 
Pitch (see tar). 

made from tar 73 

Pitt county 32, 110 

Plank roads 77 

Pocosin pine (see savanna pine) 17 

Poplar, yellow 112, 123 

Railroads, logging in North Carolina, 1 15 

Railroad ties, production of 119 

Richmond county... 37, 49, 79, 86, 87, 89, 

110 

Roanoke river 32, 38 

Robeson countv 34, 49, 86, 87, 89, 90, 

110 

Rosemary pine 17, 35, 20 

(see loblolly pine). 

Rosin, at Fayetteville 77 

destination of exports of. 82 

exports of 81 

grades made 83 

low price of 74 

production in North Carolina, 78, 



PAGE. 

Rosin, ])roduction in North Carolina, 80 
United States. ...78 

shipped to Wilmington 79 

north direct 79 

value of production of. -80 

yield by counties 79 

Round timber, acreage of. 89 

Sampson county. ...37, 47, 79, 86, 87, 89, 

110 

Savanna pine 17 

distribution of 22 

in Carteret county 27 

Craven county 27 

Dismal swamp 30 

Virginia 31 

merchantable 41 

Second growth pine, character of 70 

value of 70 

Seaboard region 23, 24 

Short-leaf pine 16 

I distribution of 21 

merchantable 41 

in Chatham county.. ..39 
Montgomery county, 39 

Nash county 39 

Wake county 40 

Shingles, exported from AVilniington, 114 

manufactures of 114 

Slash pine 21 

Soils of eastern North Carolina 14 

swamp lands 15 

I the sand-hill regions 59 

I upland regions 43 

Spirits of turpentine (see turpentine). 

Sprunt (James), quoted 106 

Standing timber in eastern NortnCar- 

; Una.. 40 

Staves 29 

i production of 120 

Storms, damage to timber by 92 

Strength of boxed trees 99 

Swamp lands, area of 15 

growth in 15 

of Beaufort county 28 

Brunswick county... 24 

Craven county 27 

Carteret county 27 

Duplin county 25 

Gates county 31 

Jones county 27 

Onslow county 2() 

Pamlico county 28 

Pender county 25 

Robeson county 35 

Sampson county 37 

soils of 15 

Tar, colonial manufacture of 73 

converted into pitch 73 

exports of 74 

production of in North Carolina, 84 
! United States 74 



128 



INDEX. 



PA(4E. 

Telegraph poles, production of 119 

Topography of eastern North Carolina, 14 

Transition region 24, 38 

Tun timber, production of 118 

Tupelo gum, distribution of 31 

Turpentine, American method of col- 
lecting 94 

crude, exports from North 

Carolina 73 

exports from Wil- 
mington 76 

production of ...76, 

77, 80 

markets for 81 

uses of 81 

French methods of col- 
lecting 96 

orchards 93 

additions to 87 

decreasing area 

of 90 

destruction... 90, 

92, 93 

of S'th'n States, 77 

value of 68 

spirits, exports of. 81 

production of in 

N. C 78, 80 

production of in 

U. S 78 

shipments of... .79, 83 
shipped to Wil- 
mington 93 

value of produc- 
tion in N. C 80 

vield by counties, 79 

Tyrrell county ^ " 29, 110 

ITwharie mountains, timber of 39 



PAGE. 

Uses of woods 122 

Virgin dip 95 

Wake county 39, 89, 110 

Washington county 29, 110, 117 

Washington, production of naval 

stores at. ...74 
lumber at. Ill 

Waste lands, area of 11, 70 

conclusions concerning, 71 

growth of 51 

origin of 51 

protection demanded for, 
61 

policy necessary for, 63, 71 

restocking 60 

utility of 59 

Wayne county ".49, 79, 86, 87, 89, 110 

Wilmington & Weldon railroad, 

building of. 76 

Wilmington, lumber trade with West 

Indies 106 

naval store industry at... 74 

rosin exports from 81 

turpentine exports from, 82 

timber supply for 106 

value of naval store ex- 
ports 82 

Wilson county 33, 86, 110 

AVood- working industries 117 

Woods, uses of. 122 

Worth (J.) and son, referred to 77 

Yellow dip 95 

Yellow pine (see long-leaf pine). ^ 
(see short-leaf pine)' 

16, 19 

poplar (see poplar) 112, 123 

Yield of turpentine by French system, 

100 



ERRATA. 

Page 22, line 14 from top; read apprci^Hed for oppiWHsed. 
Page 28, line 7 from top; read compact for Iar(jr. 
Page 31, line 19 from bottom; read unlumhcrcd for liiitiinbcrt'd. 
Page 33, line 9 from top; read exploitation for exploration. 
Page 38, line 18 fron-i bottom; read (p. 32) for (p. 20). 
Page 42, line 12 from top; insert annualhj after and tliere is. 
Page 50, line 8 from top; read occur for occurs. 
Page 118, line 16 from bottom; read tnn for ton. 



LE N 'II 



NORTH CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 

J. A. HOLMES, STATE GEOLOGIST. 



BULLETIN No. 5. 



THE FORESTS, FOREST LANDS, AND 
FOREST PRODUCTS OF EASTERN 
NORTH CAROLINA. 



W. W. ASHE, 

IN CHARGE OF FOREST INVESTIGATION. 



RALEIGH: 

JosEPHUs Daniels, State Printer and Binder. 
1894. 



